The Original Jet Waco Bi-plane

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30 March 2018, 03:46

224VALMan

The Original Jet Waco Bi-plane

Got to see Jimmy Franklin fly this in person 3 different times and each time he nor the airplane were ever disappointing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmD-XKQ_sgU

30 March 2018, 23:37

surestrike

Jimmy and his dad Zipp were good friends of mine. They are both dearly missed.

Jimmy put on one hell of a show no matter what he was flying. His Waco, the Aerostar, Stearman, Super Cub he even did a few shows in my dad’s FM-2 Wildcat back in the 70’s. Jimmy was a fine pilot and a showman. He was also about the most humble understated man I’ve ever known.

31 March 2018, 06:03

224VALMan

His son Kyle Franklin has become an outstanding airshow pilot in his own right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F70tClnEKQI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r6feU_jyW0

31 March 2018, 13:49

surestrike

Kyle puts on a great show. There is no family in the air show business who have suffered more tragedy and loss than the Franklyns. Zipp and Jimmy’s adopted son were killed in the Aerostar, Jimmy was killed in the Waco and Kyle’s wife Amanda was killed in a wing walking accident with Kyle flying the plane.

This truely is the first family if airshow flying.

31 March 2018, 14:56

224VALMan

Yeah, Another flying Family, The Younkin Family from Arkansas, has suffered the same losses in the 2 of the crashes you mentioned. Bobby Younkin, also in the Airshow Hall of Fame, was killed in the mid-air collision with Jimmy Franklin. Amanda Younkin Franklin was Bobby Younkin's daughter.
Kyle and Amanda both were at the Airshow in Canada that claimed the lives of both their Fathers. Jimmy and Bobby were very good friends also and at many of the Airshows you would see the Jet Waco and Samson parked next to each other.Saw Jimmy and Bobby both at Joplin Airfest 2005 2 weeks before they died in the crash at Canada.

02 April 2018, 17:15

Bill/Oregon

Wow, that's a record of tragedy worse than the Walindas'.
My two cousins did wing-walking when they were just out of high school. We were all greatly releived when they had had enough.

05 April 2018, 07:25

surestrike

quote:
Originally posted by 224VALMan:
Yeah, Another flying Family, The Younkin Family from Arkansas, has suffered the same losses in the 2 of the crashes you mentioned. Bobby Younkin, also in the Airshow Hall of Fame, was killed in the mid-air collision with Jimmy Franklin. Amanda Younkin Franklin was Bobby Younkin's daughter.
Kyle and Amanda both were at the Airshow in Canada that claimed the lives of both their Fathers. Jimmy and Bobby were very good friends also and at many of the Airshows you would see the Jet Waco and Samson parked next to each other.Saw Jimmy and Bobby both at Joplin Airfest 2005 2 weeks before they died in the crash at Canada.

One fact of airshow flying, very few people retire from it.

06 April 2018, 14:13

224VALMan

You are correct because I could make a very long list of great airshow pilots who have gone west.
I have a friend who retired from flying after flying crop dusters for over 40 years and a couple of crashes. He is in his mid 70's now and had to completely quit flying because of his eyesight.