REFLECTOR: On Mack Murphree

Sun Aug 24 22:32:19 CDT 2008

Thanks for your touching words Terry, and also to you Scott.

  I'll miss seeing him at OSH every year.

  Regards and Condolences,

  Jeff Barnes

Terry Miles <terrence_miles at hotmail.com> wrote:
        v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}  o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}  w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}  shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}        st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }                To All,

  Captain Mack Murphree was a good friend of mine too.  It has to be 25 or 30 years now.  We worked at together at both Flying Tiger and later FedEx and then we lost track of each other with retirement.  
  He called me the very day he saw my name on the Reflector as a new builder.  That’s the kind of guy he was.  

  I remember flying with him too in both the DC-8 and the B-747.  He would come down to the hotel lobby 5 minutes before “show time,” and there would a two cups of coffee just waiting for you as you went to check out
and the same would be true after hours with the first round of beer.  That’s the kind of guy he was.  

  I was stupid enough to land gear up in the early going of my own first 40 hours.  He called to offer encouragement and support, later to check on my progress.  That’s the kind of guy he was.  

  We all know as builders that there are meager resources out there beyond Sebastian when you get stuck, and so we turn to each other.  Some builders are pretty group-aware and helpful, others don’t have time to dig back in there own notes and references to help the next fellow past a hurdle you recall tripping over yourself.  I am guilty of that.  Mack had his own style, and methods and choices, but he would share. He would help.  That’s what he was doing the day he died, because that’s the kind of guy he was.

  When I get to heaven and I check to see if there is a room for me, I expect he will be there at the counter with a big smile and with a glass of Guinness in each hand.  

  With a deep sadness,
  Terry

---------------------------------

  From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On Behalf Of Chuck
Sent: Sunday, August 24, 2008 12:36 AM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Velocity crash

    Scott, Steve called me to tell me the sad news. I don't really know the details other than he was helping out a guy (?) who was trying to get his plane flying again (supposedly had 5 hrs). It ran up fine on the ground, but lost power shortly after takeoff. The FAA/NTSB is doing an investigation, but nothing has been released yet that I'm aware of.

    As we all know Mack, was a great pilot and very knowledgeable Velocity builder, so it had to be something that was unusual to cause this tragedy. Steve and family are pretty broken up as you might imagine. 

      ----- Original Message ----- 

    From: Scott Baker 

    To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list 

    Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2008 2:30 PM

    Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Velocity crash

    Chuck,

    Details about the accident in the press are lacking.  I along with everyone at Velocity are holding our collective breaths, wondering and fearing who was the pilot in the accident.

    Please fill us in on what you have learned - and what information discloses Mac as the pilot.  He is a dear friend.  My heart aches.

    Best,

    Scott B.

      ----- Original Message ----- 

    From: Chuck 

    To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list 

    Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2008 1:53 PM

    Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Velocity crash

    It was Mack Murphree flying someones plane. He lost power very shortly after takeoff and radioed that he was going down trying to miss the houses. 

      ----- Original Message ----- 

    From: NMFlyer1 at aol.com 

    To: reflector at tvbf.org 

    Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2008 9:13 AM

    Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Velocity crash

    Doug, 

    I agree with your angle, but for now (as was proven in California) they can not limit experimentals per se. 

    There is always a way to tweak the rules though, and run off those considered "undesirable". For example, at the Albuquerque international Sunport (KABQ), they have kicked out many of the small piston GA aircraft. They have done this by taking back the leases where the hangars were, in favor of building larger corporate, turbine and jet facilities. They have also raised gas fees to almost 7 bucks a gallon, and charge a 20 dollar ramp fee if you shut down the engines on their ramp. 

    They can not, however (yet), tell experimental aircraft that they can not go there. It would be a violation of the Grant program that funds the airport. Yes, I suppose enough smoke can be raised that would cause those in power to try and accomplish such an act, but luckily the FAA has not put up with that yet. 

    I believe that correct and complete information (not inflammatory media coverage) should be used. For example, there are 57 accidents listed before this one at the VGT airport. Of those, 4 were experimental (none fatal). 

    using the same broad category, 31 of the accidents were Cessnas, with 4 fatal. 

    Yes I know there is a gross use imbalance here, but for purposes of illustration, it shows that you really should not single out one unfortunate accident and expect to "save the world" as the media and politicians try to do. 

    Kurt 

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