Champion aerobatic pilot Vicki Cruse dies in air crash

The Daily Telegraph ^ | August 22, 2009 | Patrick Sawer

[EveningStar]

A champion aerobatic pilot died when her light aircraft crashed at Silverstone Race Circuit during an air show on Saturday.

Vicki Cruse, 40, from Santa Paula, California, was pronounced dead at the scene, Thames Valley Police said.

[Fast Moving Angel]

At least she died doing what she loved ... RIP, Vicki.

[EveningStar]

Aviation ping

[Islander7]

Very sad. My prayers for her family.

[Errant]

Flying with angels now IMHO.

[U S Army EOD]

At least she didn’t burn up in it.

[NonValueAdded]

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee
No 412 squadron, RCAF
Killed 11 December 1941

Rest In Peace, Vicki Cruse, and our prayers are up for your loved ones.

[EveningStar]

Thanks. That always brings a tear to the eye.

[tet68]

FYI
t.

Fly free little bird.

[hattend]

Blue Skies, Vicki

[ALPAPilot]

There are bold pilots and old pilots; not to many old, bold pilots. Prayers up to her family.

[Drago]

Eerie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaiajLjRTHs

[EveningStar]

I know. I saw that.

[MindBender26]

Sad

“Saturday was designated as a training day and there were no spectators at the air show, although eyewitnesses who were attending driving experience days.

One eyewitness said: “She flew straight up in the air and then straight back down again. But she dropped straight into the ground.

“There was no fire and no smoke, just a terrible wreckage. An ambulance arrived very quickly but nobody took the pilot away.

“There was no way anyone was getting out of the wreckage.”

Some sort of stall/spin/crash accident?

[Conspiracy Guy]

Very sad indeed. I am a private pilot single engine land and seaplane ratings. Some aerobatic training mainly for making normal flight safer. If I have to die in an accident, I hope it is alone at the controls of an airplane.

Godspeed Vicki

[U S Army EOD]

If I do that, I hope I hit a mountain in a cloud and not know I am lost.

[raygun]

Oh, that is SO not cool to see this today. Last night I watched a documentary on PBS about the OshKosh airshow last year where the two P-51's crashed and the one pilot died.

I didn't even know what I was watching until they showed the two planes come in for a landing and everything went horribly wrong. All I know is it was all pretty cool. Very in depth edification about the pyrotechnic show setup. I was getting all excited to see everything go off according to the choreographed plans. Those two P-51's were on short final approach in formation at the numbers, when my eyes bugged out of my head: I knew what was going to happen next!

That's because we discussed that event HERE! And lots of pix were posted HERE! What a bummer to see this posted HERE TODAY.

Condolences to the bereaved for the loss of their loved one.

[A.A. Cunningham]

2007

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[Northern Yankee]

One of my favorites.

God bless Vicki!