LEEWARD WAS VETRAN OF AIR RACING, LAST FLIGHT WAS IN "GALLOPING GHOST"
GALLOPING GHOST HAS FLOWN UNDER SEVERAL NAMES: 1949: NX7911, "Galloping Ghost", race # 77
1965: N79111, (Cliff Cummins) "Miss Candace", race #691971: rebuilt Long Beach
1981: (Wiley Sanders) "Jeannie", race #69
1983: "Spectre #X", (Jimmy Leeward)
1984: "Leeward Air Ranch Special" #44
LEFT ELEVATOR TRIM TAB APPEARS TO BE MISSING... P-51's WERE DESIGNED TO FLY WITH THIS FAILURE. AIRCRAFT WAS TOO CLOSE TO GROUND TO RECOVER FROM FAILURE.
NEW PHOTO DIRECTS ATTENTION TO THE POSSIBILITY OF PILOT'S SEAT FAILURE. POSITIONING IN MODIFIED COCKPITS PLACE PILOT AT REAR OF CANOPY... HARD CLIMB OR STEEP FAST DIVE MAY HAVE FORCED HIM OUT OF VISUAL SIGHT OR EVEN BROKEN HIS SEAT. TRAGIC...
NEAR IMPACT... 11 SPECTATORS AND TRUE FANS OF THE RENO AIR RACES ARE NOW KNOWN TO BE DEAD.
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