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P-51 Down, Vlado Lenoch gone west - July 2017
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=65529		 Page 4 of 7
Author:  Pat Carry [ Mon Jul 17, 2017 5:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: P-51 Down, Vlado Lenoch gone west
Godspeed Vlado!
Author:  lmritger [ Mon Jul 17, 2017 6:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: P-51 Down, Vlado Lenoch gone west
One of the tweets on a local news site yesterday noted that the aircraft came through the trees before striking the ground; I also don't see any evidence of fire, which is odd (although maybe I've just missed it). It's all just so overwhelmingly terrible and heartbreaking, but the part that really gets me is that this was Vlado... there was NOTHING he couldn't handle, and he wasn't the sort to take unnecessary risks. What on earth could have happened to cause this?

Lynn
Author:  Return_with_Honor [ Mon Jul 17, 2017 8:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: P-51 Down, Vlado Lenoch gone west
Living in Michigan, I was fortunate to interact with Vlado on a number of occasions at Oshkosh, Thunder over Michigan and other regional airshows over the years. He was always a very gracious man. This is yet another deep loss to our warbird community. Rest in peace Vlado ~ you will be missed by many.
Author:  Zac Yates [ Mon Jul 17, 2017 9:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: P-51 Down, Vlado Lenoch gone west
I feel so, so sorry for all of you who knew Vlado or were impacted by him in your lives. Like a few others I only knew him thanks to posts on WIX - as a result, a light went on in my head whenever he popped up in magazines - but he was as much a fixture here as any one of a dozen longtime members of this great forum. As such this news was a big shock and cast a shadow over my day.

To read on Facebook about his passenger was also a blow - I've been a lifelong fan of agricultural aircraft and was lucky to work in the industry for a couple of years, and while I didn't know much of Bethany it was great to see a young woman doing so well in the industry. Another sad loss.

To Vlado and to Bethany, and my very warmest thoughts and best wishes to all who knew them.
Author:  Dan Jones [ Mon Jul 17, 2017 10:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: P-51 Down, Vlado Lenoch gone west
My condolences to all of you who knew the man. Very tragic.
Author:  Nathan [ Mon Jul 17, 2017 10:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: P-51 Down, Vlado Lenoch gone west
as far as Im concerned, Vlado was the best pilot in the country!
Author:  Dave Hadfield [ Tue Jul 18, 2017 11:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: P-51 Down, Vlado Lenoch gone west
I was late hearing about this -- I was on my boat, off the grid.

As those of you who have read my thread in Vintage know, I spent 5 days with Vlado last month. He borrowed our Mustang to do a Heritage flypast with the F-22 at the Bagotville airshow.

Image

I liked him. He was friendly, helpful, courteous -- and a great source of information to a new Mustang pilot. Over 5 days of flying together, eating and drinking together, driving together, and working an airshow together, you a get a feeling for a fellow. I learned that he was a great guy.

Image

What a shame... what a loss... I was so much looking forward to a long-standing warbird relationship and a personal friendship with him.

On the boat, when I finally turned my dying iPhone on, and read the sad, sad news, I was appalled. What a terrible thing... But I wanted to mark the moment I learned of his passing, so I went into the cabin and poured a noggin for Vlado, held it up in the cockpit, toasted his passing, then hurled it up into the air.

Image

Godspeed Vlado Lenoch.

Dave
Author:  eallen [ Tue Jul 18, 2017 1:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: P-51 Down, Vlado Lenoch gone west
Dave Hadfield, amazing photos and story! I just went to the Vintage section and read through all the messages there...my first time. What a roller coaster ride for you the last 2 weeks. The photo of Vlado in the back seat is priceless. As everyone here has stated BIG smile and happy to be there in the jump seat! I was introduced to Vlado through a mutual friend and was lucky enough to spend some time with him and watch him fly Live Bait at Davis Monthan a few years ago. Every description and experience told here echo with my brief personal experience. From my brief meeting Vlado gave me 2 Heritage Flight patches after I told him about a shadow box project I was working on. The cool thing was I was able to make one for my friend who flew in that program and also a second one for Vlado as a thank you. The one I put together for Vlado even had one of his "Merlin Power" patches. A real gentleman and big loss to the aviation community. Thoughts and prayers to his family.
Author:  Boeing666 [ Tue Jul 18, 2017 3:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: P-51 Down, Vlado Lenoch gone west
Anyone have any idea how it happened? All the times that I have seen Vlado fly he was a pretty conservative flyer, didn't really do anything wild with any of the Mustangs that he flew, but from what I understand the Mustang made a pretty steep impact into the ground.
Author:  Dave Hadfield [ Tue Jul 18, 2017 4:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: P-51 Down, Vlado Lenoch gone west
Just speculation.

FYI... the first thing that is looked at during an investigation is medical issues. Takes a while. Then a paper chase of the aircraft's technical status. Then, since there is no black-box, witnesses. Also examination of the crash site.

None of this is quick unless there is an obvious fault.

Nobody wants to work an investigation with anything other than facts.
Author:  WIXerGreg [ Tue Jul 18, 2017 5:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: P-51 Down, Vlado Lenoch gone west
Has anybody (here) gone through ATC archives?
Author:  OD/NG [ Tue Jul 18, 2017 6:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: P-51 Down, Vlado Lenoch gone west
.
Author:  Fearless Tower [ Tue Jul 18, 2017 8:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: P-51 Down, Vlado Lenoch gone west
Boeing666 wrote:
Anyone have any idea how it happened? All the times that I have seen Vlado fly he was a pretty conservative flyer, didn't really do anything wild with any of the Mustangs that he flew, but from what I understand the Mustang made a pretty steep impact into the ground.

No one really knows at this point. About the only detail that anyone has been able to pick out so far is that the prop does not appear to have been turning at impact based on photos of the wreckage.
Author:  stephenk [ Tue Jul 18, 2017 8:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: P-51 Down, Vlado Lenoch gone west
As a close friend of Vlado for 50 years and sharing everything during that time, I knew him very well. I don't know if proper, but wish speculation could be put aside until an investigation is complete. I have ideas too but respect Mary, Michael, Jessica and Samantha and will keep my mouth shut until an investigation is complete.
Steve
Author:  stephenk [ Tue Jul 18, 2017 8:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: P-51 Down, Vlado Lenoch gone west
As a close friend of Vlado for 50 years and sharing everything during that time, I knew him very well. I don't know if proper, but wish speculation could be put aside until an investigation is complete. I have ideas too but respect Mary, Michael, Jessica and Samantha and will keep my mouth shut until an investigation is complete.
Steve
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