I know or knew both of them. Gerry Beck was one of the top warbird builders in the US and a truly class act. The young man went for a ride in my Stearman over ten years ago. Hopefully he will fully recover. He to comes form a very high class family.
...Gerry Beck was the pilot killed! He was flying his P-51A, which he built using North American original plans. Evidently, he overtook the other Mustang, and his prop took parts/pieces off the rudder/elevator/horizontal stabalizer. Eye witness reported after the over-take, Beck attempted a pull up, and away, but continued to roll over and impacted the ground.
One of the things that has always bothered me a bit about the warbird scene is the if you can buy it you fly it syndrome.
While many of these guys are very good pilots, many also do not truly have the experience with formation and aerobatic flying to be doing some of the stuff that they do.
The price that these things are going for and the cost of operation counts most professional/military pilots right out of warbirds. And these are the guys who have the experience to be doing these kinds of things.
I am sorry for the family of the deceased. What a tragedy.
