Well im sharing this because it still boggles my mind.

I was at the Moose Jaw air show on july 10th. everything was good (http://www.saskatchewanairshow.com/). When the Masters of Disaster (www.xteamairshows.com) did their final show, a WWi simulation that is 90% made up on the spot. No practice, just swooping 1 by the other, when the Jet Waco piloted by Jimmy Franklin (www.franklinairshow.com) collided in mid air with Samson that was being flown by Bobby Younkin (http://www.younkinair.com/). They burst into flames and hit the ground all within 2 seconds.

News headlines that made international news at CNN.com: http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/am.../air.shows.ap/

My and my buddies were front row center and smelled the fuel within 5 seconds of the accident. They 2 of them were having great shows, practically defying the laws of gravity when they did their solo feats. Jimmy Franklin's son, Kyle, earlier hopping on the Jet Waco and did his wingwalking routine while his dad flew. I was quite impressed. They even had the pilots talking to the crowd on the speakers. "The planes flying amazing as usual and im just going to have fun up here." Kyle was the announcer during the last routine, when his dad went down. Also, Youkin's wife and daughter were in the crowd, and apparently his wife fainted instantly.

What stunned me, and will stay with me until I die, was the reaction. The crash was very silent, and the audiences reactions was worse. Not one person gasped, or said oh my god. The most eerie sound I've ever heard (or not heard) in my life was the complete silence. Finally the annoucner (after Kyle had been cut off in mid sentence) took the mic and with a very shakey voice said "Everybody please remain behind the fences.. Emergency crews will respond and do what they were trained to do.." The announcer, also a very close friend of the pilots trying to remain calm, but you could tell he was about to cry. When the crowd was told to leave the airbase, not one word was spoken. A silent march of 20,000 people to the parking lots, all of which were still in disbelief.

The mind boggling part of this event for me was not one single event, rather all the events as a whole. The 2 pilots were world renowned (Franklin did stunts in hollywood for movies), Franklins son doing the announcing, the announcer, pilots, and the Shockwave truck drivers (http://www.shockwavejets.com/) were all friends for years, the amazing show they had earlier, their voices over the speakers, the silence, and the ever lasting quiet journey to the parking lots.

My frirends and I are still choked by this event. To imagine that we would be standing so close to such a tragedy. I've always considered myself an emotionally strong person, I had not cried at my grandparents funerals, despite loving them like all my family. But to see such a tragedy up close and personal did a number on all of us. It truely shook us up.

If we were to merely wake up Monday morning and see it on the news without being there, I'd say 'thats gotta suck' and forget about it in a day or 2. But it shook me up. Like all my friends. To witness the death of 2 in front of my eyes.. it is still ever so surreal..

Thank you for reading.

 

i saw that on the news that night.... terrible accident. where was this located at again?

 

damn. hell that would shake up anybody. This reminded me of event that took place a few years back in my hometown (lviv, ukraine). there was an air show put up at the local airforce base. A SU27 was doing some crazy maneuvers (the pilots were also highly experience). Then, while this plane was flying over the grand stands, something happened and the plane started shaking erradically and slammed into the ground. As it was sliding on the ground, it cut up dozens of people into pieces. Even though I wasn't there, I had some friends that witnessed this first-hand. I also found this ; http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/...in516647.shtml

 

wow, thats so sad

 

i saw that on the news myself. Looked much worse then what i witnessed, must've been awful.

 

it was in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. They have an military base (no jokes a military base in canada!) and have it there every year or 2. I'm from Regina, bout 30 minute drive from Moose Jaw.