All Six people who died Mid-air collision between two vintage planes on Saturday Wings Over was identified at the Dallas Airshow.
Members included Terry Barker, Craig Hudain, Kevin Michaels, Dan Ragan, Leonard Rudd and Kurt Rowe. Memorial Air ForceThe Texas nonprofit group is “dedicated to the flying and restoration of World War II aircraft” and hosts the air show, according to its website.
“We are heartbroken to announce that the following members of the Commemorative Air Force flew west on Saturday, November 12, 2022, at the Wings Over Dallas WWII Airshow,” the group said in a statement.
“Please join us in mourning the loss of our good friends and fellow Airmen.”
According to information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration, the crash occurred around 1:20 p.m. Saturday when a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell B-63 Kingobra collided at Dallas Executive Airport.
According to Memorial Air Force CEO and President Hank Coates, the volunteers have very rigorous training, are vetted very carefully and are mostly retired pilots.
“These guys are well trained and they’ve been doing it for a while,” he told a news conference on Saturday.
The Air Force did not say which men were in the Flying Fortress and who was in Kingobra when the planes collided.
Kurt Rowe
Major. Curtis J. Rowe served in the Ohio Division of the Civil Air Patrol for more than 30 years and “volunteered for the Memorial Air Force as a crew member in a vintage Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, where he shared his passion for flying,” according to a statement from the service.
“Kurt touched thousands of lives of his fellow Civil Air Patrol members, especially while flying cadets during hundreds of orientation flights during his service,” said Ohio Wing Commander Peter K. Bowden.
During his time with the Civil Air Patrol, Rowe “worked at squadron and wing levels from security officer to operations officer, with his current position as Ohio Wing Maintenance Officer.”
The Hillard, Ohio, 64-year-old man loved flying and teaching others about it, his family said, the NBC affiliate reported. WCMH “There aren’t many like him,” his cousin Tom Rowe told the outlet. “He loved his family. He took great pride in his country and in serving his country.
Terry Barker
According to Mayor Armin Misani, Terry Barker is a US Army veteran and former city councilman in Keller, Texas.
“Terry Barker was loved by many,” he wrote Facebook registration With pictures by Barker. “He was a friend and one whose guidance I often looked to. Even after retiring from serving on the City Council and flying for American Airlines, his love for the community was unfailing.”
Allied Pilots Association, American Airlines Pilots Association, He recognized Barker One of the crew members was lost in a B-17 Flying Fortress.
Barker served on the city council from 1999 to 2003 and is an experienced pilot who recently retired. NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.
“He was an American Airlines pilot. He was a captain. He recently retired in 2020. But he was with American Airlines for 36 years,” Misani told the outlet.
Parker leaves behind his wife, two sons and a new grandchild, NBC Dallas-Forth Worth reported.
“Yesterday he was flying to honor the Greatest Generation. Today, the Field of Honor in front of Keller Town Hall will stand for one more week in his memory,” Misani said.
Leonard Root
Leonard Rudd, 66, of Oregon, who loves to fly, got his pilot’s license when he was 16 and earned an aviation degree at Hesston College in Kansas, his daughter Rebecca Lowry told NBC News.
“Over the years he became a flight instructor so he could get flight time,” he said. “He would go on bigger and bigger planes as he built up his hours, getting flying certificates and licenses to fly bigger planes.
At age 30 he began working at American Airlines’ Dallas hub, first as a flight engineer, then as a co-pilot, until he became captain.
Rudd was identified by the American Airline Pilots Association as one of the crew members lost in the B-17 Flying Fortress.
A Facebook registrationLori said her father’s retirement from the airline was a year ago Sunday.
“He lived to fly and to go fast,” he wrote. “He was a very friendly, talkative, handsome boy. He never knew a stranger.
Lori says she and her sisters grew up flying B-17s and cheering their dad on during his shows.
“We are so proud. He loved that flight,” she wrote. “He leaves a great legacy. We are not ready to say goodbye. Dad, we love you with all our hearts. “We’re broke.”
Larissa Lichte, another of Rudd’s daughters, told NBC News that her 10-year-old daughter has a strong bond with her pilot grandfather.
“She wants to be a pilot,” he said.
According to Lowery, Rudd joined the Air Force One and flew B-17s for about 30 years.
Craig Hudain
Craig Hudain was identified as the pilot of a Bell B-63 Kingobra.
According to his bio on the Dora Dora Dora Airshow, he started flying at the age of 10 Website.
He became a flight instructor while in college and graduated from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo with a degree in aeronautical engineering.
Most recently, Hudayn served as a captain for United Airlines and hails from Houston, Texas, according to bio.
United Airlines did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Hudain began flying with the Memorial Air Force in 2009 and has logged more than 34,500 hours in more than 100 types of aircraft.
He also served as executive officer of Dora Dora Dora, an air show aimed at teaching at Pearl Harbor about “how December 7, 1941, changed the course of American history.”
“Heartbroken isn’t a strong enough word,” Airshow said Report on Instagram. “Please join us in mourning the loss of our good friends and fellow Airmen.”
He is survived by his wife, two children and four grandchildren, according to the bio.
This is a growing story. Check back for updates.
