X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Received: from mail-iw0-f180.google.com ([209.85.214.180] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.3.8) with ESMTP id 4400603 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:49:35 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=209.85.214.180; envelope-from=wdleonard@gmail.com Received: by iwn8 with SMTP id 8so5843201iwn.25 for ; Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:49:00 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:mime-version:received:received:in-reply-to :references:date:message-id:subject:from:to:content-type; bh=URoRg8kKgKtIpRL5nTWtY3MMbSHFMnIUqT4pQ37PrrI=; b=NA49kbYTgzItmlcDg3OXhrCf5mHV4A5kP+XB5X3hfQ0hE0zDvFyScKqEa/vkiobupb zhye9Iob/kRZCIBff2Z5rjFtxMmOxN0OIvmVsANzbHIW8LEnhmUmqOIc2JRisTaxaaqV 51CwveEwj7WAAWYjoSK61SoNkO8omSmqFlthI= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :content-type; b=JQqlRMEo4ccZrJ2wdSSmHiQYn9kmmdZYKHymVsUYhfZVrNL/Jy2LpKRN+sHzRtV/NR qEI6tex9XyctNnPAJ8wwbgps2evEnfQrOU35331u1cDCN4eVJX+BScTLyhMZDSexnmtQ +wn2WI+PaXBo6Kmp5Foty3AvEppJuG1LcDsIc= MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.231.149.140 with SMTP id t12mr7665106ibv.100.1279669739897; Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:48:59 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.231.32.71 with HTTP; Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:48:59 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: References: Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:48:59 -0700 Message-ID: Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] Re: Mike Wills From: David Leonard To: Rotary motors in aircraft Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=00504501416f46da99048bda5435 --00504501416f46da99048bda5435 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I would take that thought to the next level and submit that the likely caus= e of the crash is structural failure in flight. Mike was definitely a good enough pilot to make any crash landing near stall speed, which has to be what, less than 30mph? While certainly fast enough to be be fatal it is unlikely to be fast enough to "spread debris over a wide area", separate th= e tail enough that it is no where near the crash site, and make the victim "unrecognizable". Loss of the tail in flight explains all that, and also why he was not able to at least get to a more suitable landing area. Also possibly provides an explanation for why he did not follow his friends over the ridge, but tried to find a closer place to put it down. RIP Mike, we miss you. --=20 David Leonard Turbo Rotary RV-6 N4VY http://N4VY.RotaryRoster.net http://RotaryRoster.net On Tue, Jul 20, 2010 at 2:29 PM, Bill Bradburry w= rote: > I didn=92t know Mike, but have been saddened by his loss. I was very > impressed by his rotary install. > > > > The picture of the glider helps to understand a report that I read that t= he > tail had broken off the glider. I was thinking that it would take more t= han > a tree to do that, but the tail boom in the picture looks like it could b= e > broken fairly easily if the plane wing hit and the plane was snapped to t= he > side. I am confused though, by the report that it is a motorized glider.= I > don=92t see any propeller and if it was truly motorized, why would he not= have > been able to extend a glide to the airport? > > > > Bill B > > > ------------------------------ > > *From:* Rotary motors in aircraft [mailto:flyrotary@lancaironline.net] *O= n > Behalf Of *David Leonard > *Sent:* Tuesday, July 20, 2010 12:55 PM > > *To:* Rotary motors in aircraft > *Subject:* [FlyRotary] Re: Mike Wills > > > > I just heard the news this morning and am very shocked and saddened. Mik= e > was one of my closer friends in the rotary community and a big inspiratio= n > for me to get started. His workmanship on his RV-4 was constant source o= f > higher goal-setting for me. We previously owned a C-140 together to get = our > tailwheel experience for flying our RV's. He was always a very careful > and conscientious pilot. > > His house is in Spring Valley (East County San Diego) and he leaves > behind his wife and children. > > > > Here is another article I found: > > > > http://www.deseretnews > .com/article/700049229/California-pilot-believed-dead-from-crash-in-Tusha= r > -Mountains-in-Southern-Utah.html > > Attached is a picture of mike with his sail plane and his RV-4 in the > background. > > > > I will miss him very much and my thoughts are with his family. > > -- > David Leonard > > Turbo Rotary RV-6 N4VY > http://N4VY .RotaryRoster.net > http://RotaryRoster.net > --00504501416f46da99048bda5435 Content-Type: text/html; charset=windows-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
I would take that thought to the next level and submit that the likely= cause of the crash is structural failure in flight.=A0Mike was definitely = a good enough pilot to make any crash landing near stall speed, which has t= o be what, less than 30mph?=A0 While certainly fast enough to be be fatal i= t is unlikely to be fast enough to "spread debris over a wide area&quo= t;, separate the tail enough that it is no where near the crash site, and m= ake the victim "unrecognizable".=A0 Loss of the tail in flight ex= plains all that, and also why he was not able to at least get to a more sui= table landing area.=A0 Also possibly provides an explanation for why he did= not follow his friends over the ridge, but tried to find a closer place to= put it down.
=A0
RIP Mike, we miss you.
--
David Leonard

Turbo Rotary RV-6 N4VY
http://N4VY.RotaryRoster.net
http://RotaryRoster.net


On Tue, Jul 20, 2010 at 2:29 PM, Bill Bradburry = <bbradburr= y@bellsouth.net> wrote:

I didn=92t know= Mike, but have been saddened by his loss.=A0 I was very impressed by his r= otary install.

=A0

The picture of = the glider helps to understand a report that I read that the tail had broke= n off the glider.=A0 I was thinking that it would take more than a tree to = do that, but the tail boom in the picture looks like it could be broken fai= rly easily if the plane wing hit and the plane was snapped to the side.=A0 = I am confused though, by the report that it is a motorized glider.=A0 I don= =92t see any propeller and if it was truly motorized, why would he not have= been able to extend a glide to the airport?

=A0

Bill B

=A0

From:= Rotary motors in aircraft [mailto:flyrotary@lancaironline.net] On Behalf Of David Leonard Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 201= 0 12:55 PM=20


To: R= otary motors in aircraft
Subject: = [FlyRotary] Re: Mike Wills

=A0

I just heard the news this morning and am very shocke= d and saddened.=A0 Mike was one of my closer friends in the rotary community and a big inspirat= ion for me to get started.=A0 His workmanship on his RV-4 was constant sour= ce of higher goal-setting for me.=A0 We previously owned a C-140 together t= o get our tailwheel = experience for flying our RV's= .=A0 He was always a very careful and conscientious pilot.

His house is in Spring Valley (East County=A0San Dieg= o)=A0and he leaves behind=A0his wife and children.=A0

=A0

Here is another article I found:

=A0

Attached is a picture of mike with his sail plane and= his RV-4 in the background.

=A0

I will miss him very much and my thoughts are with hi= s family.

--
David Leonard

Turbo Rotary RV-6 N4VYhttp://N4VY.RotaryRoster.net
http://RotaryRoster.= net




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