OT: RIP Red Arrows Pilot - Red 4 - Flt Lt Jon Egging
This is a personal post and not Joe Flanigan related, so some of you may wish to skip this post.
Yesterday, Saturday 20th August 2011, Royal Air Force Pilot, Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging died following a crash after an air display in my hometown of Bournemouth, UK.
He was "RED 4", one of the 9 pilots who fly for the RAF Display Team, The Red Arrows.
The Red Arrows are a UK institution, I love them, I remember them from my childhood and as we are near the airport, we see them frequently as they land at Bournemouth Airport for stop overs. There is a field near us and they often roar across it, doing a mini routine...we all love them!
I myself saw them perform last weekend, and they were outstanding. They are incredibly skilled pilots and are active service men and women. In fact most of them had just come back after active service in Aftganistan.
Sadly, after a successful display at the Air Festival, all 9 jets did the final approach to the airport to land, but one suddenly peeled off and only 8 landed. It was then that it became apparent that the missing jet had crashed.
The MOD have launched an investigation into the crash and currently the Red Arrows are grounded until they find the cause of the incident.
It is such a tragedy, that this happened. I think I have been hit by this so hard as just 5 minutes before they crashed, they flew over my house and garden and I was in awe........I then heard the emegency sirens :(
According to eye witnesses, Flt Lt Egging steered Red 4 away from the airport and other highly populated areas to crash in a field nearby.
He probably saved hundreds of lives at the cost of his own......
So this post is dedicated to Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging.......A True Hero.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and Team mates.
All photos are from the Royal Air Force websites - no copyright infringement intended
Yesterday, Saturday 20th August 2011, Royal Air Force Pilot, Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging died following a crash after an air display in my hometown of Bournemouth, UK.
He was "RED 4", one of the 9 pilots who fly for the RAF Display Team, The Red Arrows.
The Red Arrows are a UK institution, I love them, I remember them from my childhood and as we are near the airport, we see them frequently as they land at Bournemouth Airport for stop overs. There is a field near us and they often roar across it, doing a mini routine...we all love them!
I myself saw them perform last weekend, and they were outstanding. They are incredibly skilled pilots and are active service men and women. In fact most of them had just come back after active service in Aftganistan.
Sadly, after a successful display at the Air Festival, all 9 jets did the final approach to the airport to land, but one suddenly peeled off and only 8 landed. It was then that it became apparent that the missing jet had crashed.
The MOD have launched an investigation into the crash and currently the Red Arrows are grounded until they find the cause of the incident.
It is such a tragedy, that this happened. I think I have been hit by this so hard as just 5 minutes before they crashed, they flew over my house and garden and I was in awe........I then heard the emegency sirens :(
According to eye witnesses, Flt Lt Egging steered Red 4 away from the airport and other highly populated areas to crash in a field nearby.
He probably saved hundreds of lives at the cost of his own......
So this post is dedicated to Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging.......A True Hero.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and Team mates.
All photos are from the Royal Air Force websites - no copyright infringement intended