Jim LeRoy 1961 - 2007




JIM , JOANIE and TOMMY LEROY


image © www.daytonairshow.com


ABOUT JIM © www.bulldogairshows.com/





LeRoy's interest in aircraft started at a young age. His father and grandfather were retired United Airlines pilots.
LeRoy studied aeronautical engineering at the University of Illinois. After he graduated, he served in the Marine Corps, earning several pilots' licenses with the Corps' Flying Club at Camp Pendleton.
LeRoy worked as an engineer in General Electric's jet engine division and later worked for a paper mill that used jet engines to generate energy before leaving the industry 10 years ago to become a full-time Aerobatic
pilot .

LeRoy grew up in Bartlett and attended Elgin High School with his future wife, Joan Muren. They graduated in 1979.
Jim and Joan became reacquainted at their 10-year class reunion and married the next May. In 2003, they welcomed their first child, Tommy.
For the past two years, LeRoy and his family had been living in Lake City, Fla., where the weather allowed for many more flying days.
LeRoy is survived by his wife, Joan; his son, Tommy; his parents, Jim and Rosemary; his brother, Jeff; and his sister, Pam.


Professional background


Initially flying solo performances, he gained a reputation with his highly energetic aerobatic displays. In 2003, LeRoy joined a daring and successful airshow troupe, the X-team, that referred to themselves as the Masters of Disaster. Their performance generally consisted of three pilots flying a simultaneous, chaotic, interweaving aerobatic display through clouds of smoke generated by circling jet powered trucks below. After two seasons of successful airshows, an accident occured on July 10, 2005 during a routine performance when Jimmy Franklin and Bobby Younkin collided in mid-air. Jim LeRoy was not involved in the collision and landed safely.
LeRoy was one of only eleven pilots ever to be awarded both the Art Sholl Showmanship Award (2002) and the Bill Barber Award for Showmanship (2003). He was also one of only a handful of full time air show pilots in the world who actually made his living by performing for air show audiences.
LeRoy also held the following pilot ratings: single-engine, multi-engine, airplane instructor, helicopter, helicopter instructor, instrument instructor and aerobatic competency evaluator.



MEMORIAL TO JIMMY AND BOBBY
Jimmy Marshall Franklin and Robert Allen "Bobby" Younkin Passed away in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan - Canada. on July 10 2005




CRASH REPORT
 
10 July 2005 — In-Flight Collision, Between, Waco UPF-7 N2369Q and, Wolf-Samson N985PW, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Report Number A05C0123 HTML PDF [412 Kb]



LeRoy broke with his usual practice of disassembling his Pitts Bulldog II biplane and trucking it. Instead, he flew the plane cross-country to the Dayton Air Show and told a friend the flight to Dayton was a reminder of the thrill he took in flying



© img.coxnewsweb.com


A biplane performing for an air show crashed into a runway Saturday July 28, 2007 in front of thousands of spectators, killing the pilot, officials said.
Jim LeRoy, 46, was in one of two planes making loop-to-loops with smoke trailing as part of the annual air show at Dayton International Airport. His Bulldog Pitts aircraft slammed into the runway across a field from spectators and caught fire. The crowd stood stunned as the show was shut down.
A performance by the Air Force Thunderbirds was canceled .


Jim Leroy's Aircraft came to rest in the grass just off of Runway 24 R - 6 L

© img.coxnewsweb.com



After the crash Jm Leroy was transported by a
military MEDEVAC helicopter in transit to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. LeRoy had crashed around 2:15PM EST

Aerobatics pilot James Vernon LeRoy Jr. died instantly in Saturday's plane crash at the Vectren Dayton Air Show, the Montgomery County coroner's office concluded Sunday.
Coroner's Director Ken Betz said LeRoy, 46, died of blunt force trauma to the cervical spine and torso, and the death will be ruled an accident. Public records show LeRoy was from Lake City, Fla.
"It's our opinion he died instantly. There are no signs of smoke or fire inhalation," Betz said. "He hit the ground at 200 mph. He fractured his neck. He was dead at the time of impact."
Betz said the accident at the air show site at Dayton International Airport occurred at 2:42 p.m. Saturday. LeRoy was pronounced dead at 3:05 p.m. en route to Miami Valley Hospital in an Army Black Hawk helicopter.
Emergency personnel had to extinguish the aircraft fire and extricate LeRoy from the wreckage of his biplane before he could be taken to the hospital.
Betz said he would be conducting toxicology studies, but said there were no preliminary indications of alcohol or drugs in the victim's body.
Betz said the coroner's office will provide the National Transportation Safety Board with blood samples from the victim so the board can conduct its own tests. He said the coroner's toxicology report could be released as early as the end of this week or as late as four weeks from now.
The coroner's office obtained dental records from LeRoy's dentist in Gainesville, Fla., Betz said. Those records will be used to formally confirm the victim's identity this week.
Betz said, however, that he had no doubt it was LeRoy. LeRoy's wife, Joanie, visually identified the body, Betz said. "It's my understanding she was there and was the last one to strap him in the cockpit."
Betz said the coroner's office was releasing the body on Sunday for transport to LeRoy's home.

 MUSIC USED IN SOME OF JIM'S SHOWS

WHO LET THE DOG'S OUT

SKIP STEWART and RICH'S INCREDIBLE PYRO were part of the X-Team Codename: Mary's Lamb aerobatics team




Skip Stewart brake-walk by Scott Slocum

Skip Stewart Air Shows


RICH'S INCREDIBLE PYRO


DAYTON AIRSHOW INFORMATION / AIRPORT DATA





Dayton Iternational Airport>



                                                              SEATING MAP 2007

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