Worlds 11th richest man killed in Ultralight crash!
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Worlds 11th richest man killed in Ultralight crash!
Wal-Mart heir John Walton dies in crash
Grand Teton National Park rangers and fire personnel examine the wreckage of an ultra light aircraft that crashed Monday, June 27, 2005 just north of Jackson Hole Airport near Jackson, Wyo. The pilot, John T. Walton, a billionaire son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton and a member of the company's board was killed in the crash.
BENTONVILLE, Ark. --John Walton, the billionaire son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton and a member of the company's board, died Monday in a plane crash in Wyoming.
Walton, 58, of Jackson, Wyo., was piloting an ultralight that crashed shortly after takeoff from the Jackson Hole Airport in Grand Teton National Park, the company said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and the cause of the afternoon crash was not known, officials said.
The plane was an experimental ultralight aircraft with a small, gasoline-powered engine and wings wrapped in fabric similar to heavy-duty sail cloth, officials said.
In March, Forbes Magazine listed John Walton as No. 11 on its list of the world's richest people with a net worth of $18.2 billion. He was tied with his brother Jim, one spot behind his bother Rob, and just ahead of his sister Alice and his mother Helen.
Walton joined the board of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in 1992, but did not work for the company.
"We're sad that John Walton, who was well-known and much-loved in this valley, died doing something that he loved to do, which was fly aircraft," said Joan Anzelmo, a spokeswoman for Grand Teton National Park.
"I saw parts of it," she said of the plane. "I didn't realize what I was seeing at first. It was so lightweight it looked like a giant model airplane."
Anzelmo said officials notified the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board.
"Because this is a homemade, non-registered, experimental aircraft, at least today they told us there was not going to be an investigation," she said. Grand Teton rangers will conduct their own probe, as is done with any major accident in the park, she said.
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Mona Williams said the company notified its employees worldwide of Walton's death.
Walton was an Army veteran who served with the Green Berets as a medic during the Vietnam War. He was awarded the Silver Star for saving the lives of several members of his unit while under enemy fire, according to the company. He attended the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio, and served as a board member of the Walton Family Foundation.
The company said Walton pursued a variety of business interests including working as a crop duster in the 1970s and building boats in the 1980s. More recently, he had formed a holding company, True North, to oversee various business interests.
Walton is survived by his wife, Christy, and son, Luke; his mother, Helen; two brothers, Rob and Jim; and a sister, Alice.
Funeral arrangements were not immediately announced.
Grand Teton National Park rangers and fire personnel examine the wreckage of an ultra light aircraft that crashed Monday, June 27, 2005 just north of Jackson Hole Airport near Jackson, Wyo. The pilot, John T. Walton, a billionaire son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton and a member of the company's board was killed in the crash.
BENTONVILLE, Ark. --John Walton, the billionaire son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton and a member of the company's board, died Monday in a plane crash in Wyoming.
Walton, 58, of Jackson, Wyo., was piloting an ultralight that crashed shortly after takeoff from the Jackson Hole Airport in Grand Teton National Park, the company said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and the cause of the afternoon crash was not known, officials said.
The plane was an experimental ultralight aircraft with a small, gasoline-powered engine and wings wrapped in fabric similar to heavy-duty sail cloth, officials said.
In March, Forbes Magazine listed John Walton as No. 11 on its list of the world's richest people with a net worth of $18.2 billion. He was tied with his brother Jim, one spot behind his bother Rob, and just ahead of his sister Alice and his mother Helen.
Walton joined the board of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in 1992, but did not work for the company.
"We're sad that John Walton, who was well-known and much-loved in this valley, died doing something that he loved to do, which was fly aircraft," said Joan Anzelmo, a spokeswoman for Grand Teton National Park.
"I saw parts of it," she said of the plane. "I didn't realize what I was seeing at first. It was so lightweight it looked like a giant model airplane."
Anzelmo said officials notified the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board.
"Because this is a homemade, non-registered, experimental aircraft, at least today they told us there was not going to be an investigation," she said. Grand Teton rangers will conduct their own probe, as is done with any major accident in the park, she said.
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Mona Williams said the company notified its employees worldwide of Walton's death.
Walton was an Army veteran who served with the Green Berets as a medic during the Vietnam War. He was awarded the Silver Star for saving the lives of several members of his unit while under enemy fire, according to the company. He attended the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio, and served as a board member of the Walton Family Foundation.
The company said Walton pursued a variety of business interests including working as a crop duster in the 1970s and building boats in the 1980s. More recently, he had formed a holding company, True North, to oversee various business interests.
Walton is survived by his wife, Christy, and son, Luke; his mother, Helen; two brothers, Rob and Jim; and a sister, Alice.
Funeral arrangements were not immediately announced.
Uneasy Pleistocene Leftover
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In March, Forbes Magazine listed John Walton as No. 11 on its list of the world's richest people with a net worth of $18.2 billion. He was tied with his brother Jim, one spot behind his bother Rob, and just ahead of his sister Alice and his mother Helen.
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Well by that reckoning, I must be the 500,000,000,000,000,1st richest chap in the world then, now that 12th place has been vacated...
Just goes to show that even if you are stinking rich, the ground is still bloody hard and just as likely to kill you!
Don't you just love the trivia the press spews out?
Just goes to show that even if you are stinking rich, the ground is still bloody hard and just as likely to kill you!
Don't you just love the trivia the press spews out?
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Jerricho said in part....
"Don't fly an ultra-light"
*shrug*
Aviate 1138 says.....
You obviously haven't flown one then? There is a PFA
Rally at Kemble in early July. There will be a number of UK Microlights there. Hard to tell microlights from 'real' aeroplanes as the *shrug* probably indicates your view. _Unless they are the obvious weightshift sort.
A lot of 'real' pilots fly microlights and enjoy doing so. After all, they too are real aeroplanes, subject to the same aerodynamic laws.
The BMAA have a website worth a look. BTW a few 'real' aeroplanes kill their pilots too. Maybe they should be avoided for the same reason?
Aviate 1138
"Don't fly an ultra-light"
*shrug*
Aviate 1138 says.....
You obviously haven't flown one then? There is a PFA
Rally at Kemble in early July. There will be a number of UK Microlights there. Hard to tell microlights from 'real' aeroplanes as the *shrug* probably indicates your view. _Unless they are the obvious weightshift sort.
A lot of 'real' pilots fly microlights and enjoy doing so. After all, they too are real aeroplanes, subject to the same aerodynamic laws.
The BMAA have a website worth a look. BTW a few 'real' aeroplanes kill their pilots too. Maybe they should be avoided for the same reason?
Aviate 1138
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Aviate 1138 says..........
(You see, when Joseph said "with all that money" and asks what hope does he have.....oh forget it. If you didn't get the joke then)
I'd also be interested to know the type and circumstances if anybody knows.
It is worthy of mention that around the world most countries have a "lightweight" deregulated category below which airworthiness and licencing rules are relaxed.
Here in the UK, this line is at 450kg/990lb, with a 35 knot stalling speed. However, the aircraft are still "certified" and the pilots still have to complete a PPL course, pass a skills test, and maintain a minimum level of currency. Pilots trained on other types have to do some kind of conversion.
In the USA, the line is single seat / 115kg/254lb empty, with a maximum speed of 55 knots. To fly these light single seaters you need no licence, no registration (although that may be changing), and no form of airworthiness approval for the aeroplane.
Whilst I'd not wish to prejudge either the pilot or aircraft in this case, it's likely that US ultralights have a poorer safety record than UK microlights (or most other countries with their own flavours of "light touch" light aviation).
The other thing often missed is that aeroplanes that small and light / low energy do not handle or perform like a bigger faster aeroplane (say a C150!). Pilots experienced and safe on such aeroplanes are not necessarily safe on a single seat aeroplane with a take-off weight around 500 lbf. (Or vice versa of course).
(Conversely, in the USA gliders have to have an ICAO compliant CofA and pilots a PPL, whilst in the UK it was until very recently quite legal to build and fly a glider on your own with no controls whatsoever. Of-course, the BGA made sure this didn't really happen, just as the USUA does it's best to keep ultralight flying safe in America).
G
It is worthy of mention that around the world most countries have a "lightweight" deregulated category below which airworthiness and licencing rules are relaxed.
Here in the UK, this line is at 450kg/990lb, with a 35 knot stalling speed. However, the aircraft are still "certified" and the pilots still have to complete a PPL course, pass a skills test, and maintain a minimum level of currency. Pilots trained on other types have to do some kind of conversion.
In the USA, the line is single seat / 115kg/254lb empty, with a maximum speed of 55 knots. To fly these light single seaters you need no licence, no registration (although that may be changing), and no form of airworthiness approval for the aeroplane.
Whilst I'd not wish to prejudge either the pilot or aircraft in this case, it's likely that US ultralights have a poorer safety record than UK microlights (or most other countries with their own flavours of "light touch" light aviation).
The other thing often missed is that aeroplanes that small and light / low energy do not handle or perform like a bigger faster aeroplane (say a C150!). Pilots experienced and safe on such aeroplanes are not necessarily safe on a single seat aeroplane with a take-off weight around 500 lbf. (Or vice versa of course).
(Conversely, in the USA gliders have to have an ICAO compliant CofA and pilots a PPL, whilst in the UK it was until very recently quite legal to build and fly a glider on your own with no controls whatsoever. Of-course, the BGA made sure this didn't really happen, just as the USUA does it's best to keep ultralight flying safe in America).
G
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If there's a tie for 11th place, is there a 12th place or just a jump to 13th? That's only important because if there wasn't a 12th place, everyone would be able to move up one...
Furthermore, if there are m people typing for nth place, then places (n+1), (n+2)...(n+m-1) are skipped and the next highest sits in (n+m)th place.
So to answer your question: In this case, there was a tie between two people for 11th place, so the next person sat in 13th place, until the demise of one of the two tied people at which point the 13th place person rises to 12th place, 14th to 13th etc and you get to rejoice in being one rung nearer the top - temporarily at least.
This Adaptive Sequencing is different from the Linear Sequencing involved in say being born, or more appropriately here at least, dying. Namely that in Adaptive Sequencing, your position varies along a determinate region of the full spectrum, (you are only likely to become so rich or so poor for instance), whereas in Linear Sequencing, your position varies, possibly in both directions in relation to the spectrun limits, but ultimately towards and to the spectrum limits.
In layman's terms, you get sick, you recover, but sooner or later you''re the next person to die.
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Hard to tell microlights from 'real' aeroplanes as the *shrug* probably indicates your view. A lot of 'real' pilots fly microlights and enjoy doing so. After all, they too are real aeroplanes, subject to the same aerodynamic laws.
The accident statistics for microlight are really bad, for example in Germany they are 8 times more deadly per flight hour than motorgliders !
Just lost two friends in the last two years in microlight crashes of aerplanes, that really looked and felt like a ´real´ airplane, except for some minor flaws... Nearly all pilots killed in microlight crashes in the last years were experienced pilots that flew serious airplanes for decades.
Don't fly an ultra-light
but on the other hand, if you do smoke, the probability that cigarettes will kill you is higher than the probability that a microlight will kill you.
BFU figures...
Genghis ---
here's the BFU Annual Report for 2004.
http://www.bfu-web.de/fustat/2004/BFU-V165-JB2004.pdf
On the cover it says "ausgenommen Luftsportgeräte", literally "air sports equiment not included", meaning "not including microlights". The BFU refuse to deal with them.
Unfortunately it's available in German only, but I think pages 4 to 7 are understandable.... These are the absolute numbers, not related to flight hours or number of flights:
Reisemotorsegler (touring motorglider, TMG) list 30 (27) accidents in 2004 in total,
including 0 (0) severe incidents,
including 2 (1) accidents with severe injuries with 3 (2) persons severely injured,
including 1 (1) accidents causing death with 1 (1) persons dead. (Previous year's figures in brackets.)
So this answers (roughly) half of your question!
....and roughly the other half of your question is answered in this FlugRevue article
>Mehr tödliche Unfälle
>Wenig erfreulich ist die Unfallstatistik für dreiachsgesteuerte Ultraleichtflugzeuge, die das Büro für Flugsicherheit des DAeC für das Jahr 2004 vorgelegt hat (Stand: 31. Oktober). Trotz insgesamt rückläufiger Unfallzahlen ist die Zahl der tödlichen Unfälle im Vergleich zu 2003 gestiegen. Ereigneten sich 2003 noch drei Unfälle mit tödlichem Ausgang, waren es 2004 sieben. Zwölf UL-Insassen kamen dabei ums Leben, doppelt so viele wie im Jahr zuvor. Die Gesamtzahl der gemeldeten Unfälle ist dagegen von 61 auf 45 zurückgegangen – ein Minus von 26 Prozent.
My quick-and-dirty translation:
Microlights had 7 (3) deadly accidents with 12 (6) people dead.
Total reported accidents 45 (61).
Hmpf.... As Jerricho and Volume correctly said... "Don't fly an ultra-light"....!
here's the BFU Annual Report for 2004.
http://www.bfu-web.de/fustat/2004/BFU-V165-JB2004.pdf
On the cover it says "ausgenommen Luftsportgeräte", literally "air sports equiment not included", meaning "not including microlights". The BFU refuse to deal with them.
Unfortunately it's available in German only, but I think pages 4 to 7 are understandable.... These are the absolute numbers, not related to flight hours or number of flights:
Reisemotorsegler (touring motorglider, TMG) list 30 (27) accidents in 2004 in total,
including 0 (0) severe incidents,
including 2 (1) accidents with severe injuries with 3 (2) persons severely injured,
including 1 (1) accidents causing death with 1 (1) persons dead. (Previous year's figures in brackets.)
So this answers (roughly) half of your question!
....and roughly the other half of your question is answered in this FlugRevue article
>Mehr tödliche Unfälle
>Wenig erfreulich ist die Unfallstatistik für dreiachsgesteuerte Ultraleichtflugzeuge, die das Büro für Flugsicherheit des DAeC für das Jahr 2004 vorgelegt hat (Stand: 31. Oktober). Trotz insgesamt rückläufiger Unfallzahlen ist die Zahl der tödlichen Unfälle im Vergleich zu 2003 gestiegen. Ereigneten sich 2003 noch drei Unfälle mit tödlichem Ausgang, waren es 2004 sieben. Zwölf UL-Insassen kamen dabei ums Leben, doppelt so viele wie im Jahr zuvor. Die Gesamtzahl der gemeldeten Unfälle ist dagegen von 61 auf 45 zurückgegangen – ein Minus von 26 Prozent.
My quick-and-dirty translation:
Microlights had 7 (3) deadly accidents with 12 (6) people dead.
Total reported accidents 45 (61).
Hmpf.... As Jerricho and Volume correctly said... "Don't fly an ultra-light"....!
Last edited by flugholm; 29th Jun 2005 at 09:06.
These numbers I'm afraid don't really give us the picture do they? In order to make a meaningful comparison we need fatalities per sortie, per nnn flying hours, per xxx pilots - something that allows us to compare like with like.
And of course, similar numbers for GA, light helicopters, gliders - something that gives us a reasonable feel for whether ultralights / microlights are better or worse.
G
And of course, similar numbers for GA, light helicopters, gliders - something that gives us a reasonable feel for whether ultralights / microlights are better or worse.
G
I have never met John, but I have met his brother, Rob. Despite his huge wealth, on a scale incomprehensible to me and most of the rest of this forum I suspect, he is a genuine, warm-hearted, and normal fellow. I would be surprised if John were not the same. Rob is mad on aviation too.
The fact that John was flying an ultralight shows that he had his feet firmly on the ground, and his mind firmly in the heavens. May all his future landings be soft.
Skua
The fact that John was flying an ultralight shows that he had his feet firmly on the ground, and his mind firmly in the heavens. May all his future landings be soft.
Skua
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Some diabolical crap being spoken on here.
In the UK, microlight accidents are on par with helicopters, both of which are slightly worse than GA.
In the US, the situation is completely different. As has been said, you can build your own ultralight, without any inspections of previous experience and then you can fly it without any previous flying experience, subject to the aircraft weighing less than 115kg.
This could not be further from the situation in the UK.
I have no knowledge of the German market, except for one point. All ultralights in Germany must have a BRS fitted. I am firmly of the belief that this leads pilots into the mistaken belief that if it all goes wrong, they just pull the handle. Daily inspections have less importance and aerobatics seem more attractive, when you have a chute fitted. The reality is that if something goes wrong below 1500ft, its unlikely to save you.
I suspect that John Walton was flying a tiny homebuilt, because it gave him much more of a buzz than driving a 40 year old Cessna or Piper.
In the UK, microlight accidents are on par with helicopters, both of which are slightly worse than GA.
In the US, the situation is completely different. As has been said, you can build your own ultralight, without any inspections of previous experience and then you can fly it without any previous flying experience, subject to the aircraft weighing less than 115kg.
This could not be further from the situation in the UK.
I have no knowledge of the German market, except for one point. All ultralights in Germany must have a BRS fitted. I am firmly of the belief that this leads pilots into the mistaken belief that if it all goes wrong, they just pull the handle. Daily inspections have less importance and aerobatics seem more attractive, when you have a chute fitted. The reality is that if something goes wrong below 1500ft, its unlikely to save you.
I suspect that John Walton was flying a tiny homebuilt, because it gave him much more of a buzz than driving a 40 year old Cessna or Piper.