Leo was one of my instructors at LAC Barton when I did my PPL July 1978 to early 1979. I was at that air show and waved to Leo who waved back as we drove out of the airfield after the show. An hour later he was dead.
The Luton Major was owned by a couple of Barton pilots, including the guy (can't remember his name) who was killed with Leo in the accident and I knew him and the other owner (I always remember it had painted on it lovely script "Built Upleaden Pig farm" and the date).
I remember Leo had left instructing by then and was working for Loganair in Scotland. He had come back south for the airshow. He and the part-owner of the Luton went flying after the show had finished and according to the AAIB had overstressed the aeroplane in aerobatics (the Luton was non-aerobatic). I remember the report saying the wing structure that failed was well up to design strength.
That accident lead to LAC banning flying after any future air shows as it was feared pilots might be inspired to try to copy the display pilots they'd seen at the show.
I remember Leo as very laid back. He was invariably late for my lessons, but one thing he didn't like was my propensity for a steepish cross wind to downwind turn in the circuit. I'd hold attitude as taught after the crosswind climb to circuit height, get the speed up from climb speed to 90knts, trim for level flight, look out, then 'bank and yank' the poor old C150 round a 60 degree turn (works much better in the Chipmunk, I have to say!).
"One day you'll just go spiralling into the ground doing that" he'd say. Ironic, I suppose. It was quite a shock to all at Barton when those two likeable people died so tragically that summer evening. I still think of them if I'm in the Culcheth area, as I was only a couple of weeks ago. I can point today at the place they went in (between the east Lancs Road and Culcheth).
Last edited by Shaggy Sheep Driver; 13th Apr 2013 at 21:38.