I’m not a praying type of guy, but if you are please do…
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/10/snowbird-crash041210.html
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Fade to Black…
Damn it … it just ain’t right.
It’s a sad loss for his family, friends and collegues. Although one knows the risk involved in this profession it always comes at an unexpected moment.
I’m not religious, so I have no prayers for this young man and his family, but my thoughts are with them.
A tragic loss of a fine young man. My prayers will include him & his family.
Regards, Rick
I certainly will put out good mojo for his family.
Having seen the Snowbirds perform countless times, I admire their skill and appreciate the nine man formations. Most impressive!
One of those odd coincidences. I was engaged in an email discussion last night with a friend in Enland, who has seen all the major European teams, and even the Turkish AF team. He, of course, insisted that the Red Arrows were the best in the world, and that the French were the craziest.
Well, I’m as good and loyal American as anybody, I guess, and yet, curse my soul, but the best aerial demonstration team I’ve seen over and over has to be the Snowbirds. When they do their bomb burst or, as some call it, the palm tree, at the end, it is absolutely magical, and it never gets old with me. This is a terible tragedy, a terrbile blow to the Snowbirds, and I feel for the Canadian team and all those who supported them.
Tom Bell
I’ve seen the Snowbirds several times at Abbotsford, and I love them. this loss is terrible, i’ll be praying.
a tragic accident.
joe
Thanks for the news Steve-O…albeit tragic as it is.
The level of bravery that these guys display for our own enjoyment is lost for the most part on the general populus. Most people think bravery is prevalent during times of war but here we have these technically skilled pilots careening towards one another at speeds in excess of 400 knots to thrill the audience. If you ask me, this too constitutes bravery on another level and something that should not be thought of lightly by those who witness these pilot’s amazing abilities.
My thoughts go out to Capt. Selby’s family.
RODC
P.S. Good to see ya back Wolfie…
My thoughts and prayers will also be with Capt Selby’s family. The US demo teams have had a couple of close calls lately. The Thunderbirds lost a plane last year when the solo pilot didn’t do the math right for AGL vs ASL and tried to do a 2,000 foot loop with about 1700 feet of altitude. The pictures of his last second ejection were running around the internet for awhile. The pilot and seat departed the aircraft point 56 seconds before impact.
The Blue Angels lost a plane about a week ago over the Gulf south of Pensacola during a practice session. The pilot ejected and was rescued after a short swim. Initial reports say major mechanical malfunction.[alien]
Between this and the loss of a Jayhawk in Alaska, this has been a sad day. My thoughts, prayers and condolences go out to all the families affected in these tragedies.
I’m sorry to hear about the accident. My thoughts are with the team. Having seen both the Red Arrows and the Snowbirds, the Snowbirds won hands down. A superb demonstration of really tight flying.
You are in your own way, by the very fact that you brought this to our attention. Thank you, Steve.
I have seen the Snowbirds and I can’t really say more about them than what has already been posted above, expecially rodc’s comments. They are indeed impressive.
My prayers are for the family and friends of Captain Selby.
May an Angel be your wingman, and the Sun be always at your six
That’s just awful news.
I hate to hear about things like this…my thoughts go out to this mans family and colleagues. A sad loss to be sure.
Very sad news!
Indeed sad, I’ve seen the Snowbirds more times than I can remember. They always kept their shows fresh and they always had some sort of new manouver to show everytime I saw them.
Its not the first time they’ve had a fatal accident, they had one back in the 90s at an airshow at CFB Trenton. It takes more than this to end them, they’ll keep going.
The real problem is that they’re flying nearly 40 year old aircraft. The Snowbirds have the last Tutor jets in the Canadian Forces and they really deserve better. I’d love to see some of those Hawk trainers put into SB service.
Still, when I think of the worst aerobatic team accident, my memory still returns to the 80s when I saw the Freece Tricolori accident at an airshow at Rammstein AFB on the news. Man, thats an image I’d like to shake out but can’t.
Well, like the rest of you, my thoughts are with Capt. Shelby’s family and the remaining Snowbirds.
Maybe this will get the the folks at the DOD to give the SBs the new jets they deserve.
Upnorth, I was there at Ramstein too when the tricolor pulled that stunt. The heat blast off that think was so great it litteraly took my breath away. While any loss of life is tragic, remembering that incident still leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I think about the freece tricolor.
Stinger, perhaps you’re right. I guess it’s more thoughts than prayers though…
Awood, I don’t want to stir up any bad memories and I certainly don’t want to come off as a cold-hearted SOB (which some think I am anyway!) but what goes through ones mind when placed in a situation like that?
Like most folks, I only witnessed that event via pictures; news clips, documentaries and a few very chilling photographs, one of which brings tears every time I look at it, as it shows a photographer who’s undoubtedly taking his last shots. I’ve been in one situation where I very well could have been killed, but I was never in a situation quite like the one which many spectators found themselves in on that day.
Forgive me if I’ve stirred the pot, but I am simply curious…
Fade to Black…
Every Time these men and women Go up they don"t know if there going to come back, My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the young man that lost his life and I pray that the other pilot has a swift and speedy recovery.
BW, at the time of the Ramstein incident I was a young teenager (in boyscouts) My father had taken me to the airshow and let me walk around by myself because he had to work there. After the initial explosion and alot of confusion I started helping some EMT’s that were scrambeling trying to triage patients. there were more injuries than they had ambulances and many people were being treated right there while the worst were being medivaced to the hospital. Once the Germans showed up and started helping transport, things started becoming more organized. I remember seeing ALOT of burn victims and it didnt really bother me at first. I just helped wrap bandages and pour water over wounds till someone took over for me. At some point a concerned woman decided that as a child I didnt need to be seeing burned up people and removed me… 
later after I started thinking about it my thoughts became rather selfish thinking thank god I wasn’t one of the ones burned and trying to fathom the amount of pain some of those people were in. I never really thought about the ones that didnt survive. Later after hearing about the incident in the news and how the injuries to the crowd were caused because the freece tricolor disregaurded safety proceedures which prohibited over flights of the crowd I became incredibly angry and have (for lack of a better word) hated the freece tricolor since. Even years later, and I know its a whole new crew that probably follow safety regulations stringently, I dont think they should be allowed to perform. I dont know why the team wasnt disbanneded… Overreaction? perhaps, but I think Id feel the same way were it the Red Arrows, Blue Angels or ThunderBirds that had been involved in the incident.