Accidents in Oregon and China Take Pilot's Lives

It's been a lousy weekend to be an aviation journalist as we document the tragic loss of two well-known pilots in two separate airshows accident.. each on the other side of the world.

At the 1st Silk Road International General Aviation Convention held at Danxia airport in China, well-known Red Bull pilot Michel Leusch (shown here) was lost when a performance resulted in a series of rolling descending maneuvers that inexplicablu terminated in a ground impact some 300-400 feet from the edge of the runway. Leusch made a name for himself in both model as well as full scale aviation.

On the other side of the world, a 1941 450 Stearman flown by NW Aerobat Marcus Paine apparently failed to execute a loop, which terminated in contact with the ground shortly before 1500 local time, in Madras, OR. The aircraft caught fire shortly after impact but Paine was extricated quickly by first-responders... but none-the-less succumbed to his injuries. Jefferson County Sheriff Jim Adkins confirmed that, "The airplane was piloted by Marcus Bruce Paine who was 61 years old and he died in the crash."

The Airshow of the Cascades at the Madras Municipal Airport in Oregon, featured a solid roster of performers, and the predominantly yellow Stearman was a solid favorite. Paine's website notes that he was, "...Raised on a homestead in Rabbit Creek, Marc has been a pilot for over 20 years and is the founder and Chief Flight Instructor of Unusual Attitudes LLC at Merrill Field, and now at Marana Regional Airport in Tucson, a flight school that teaches Unusual Attitude Recovery, Stall/Spin Awareness and aerobatic flight. Marc is a skilled instructor adept at teaching pilots of all skill levels new ways of thinking about the principals of flight and mastering the airplane in every attitude. He is an FAA Safety Counselor, and a regular speaker on Stall/Spin Awareness at FAA Safety Seminars held throughout Alaska, and nationally at aviation events including Oshkosh and Sun n’ Fun."

ANN extends its condolences to the families and friends of these very fine aviators...

FMI: www.marcuspaine.com, www.facebook.com/michel.leusch, http://www.cascadeairshow.com/