Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?

[chuck tucker]

Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?

HUH?
TJ did not die at the El Toro airshow.
Zip Andre, Biplane Race 3, Zipper II

TJ DIED IN MOSCOW BUYING 6 L-39s... WAS IN A CRASH IN A RUSSIAN MILITARY JET FROM WHAT EDDIE MERCHANT & CLYDE GREEN TOLD ME. HIM & A MILITARY OFFICER PERISHED TOGETHER.

[chuck tucker]

Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?

HUH?
TJ did not die at the El Toro airshow.
Zip Andre, Biplane Race 3, Zipper II

JIM GREGORY DIED WHILE @ EDWARDS AIR BASE IN THE F-86 SABRE JET. BELLIED INTO THE RUNWAY AFTER A LOOP.

[Ron101502]

Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?

I met TJ a few times when I was in the airshow business "back in the day", great guy, Thud driver in SEA, and as I recall was an officer in ICAS. I heard the same thing, that he died in an L-39 in the old Soviet Union either fighting or not knowing who was the pilot flying, guess the other guy didn't speak much English. I real shame as I recall the rumor at the time was he was forming the "Coca-Cola Jet Team".

Correct me if I'm wrong but I beleive TJ and Mike Van Wagenen were going to get the BD-10 certified (the ultimate "doctor killer"), develope an FAA approved training program and then sell the airplanes through a chain of dealerships/service centers they were going to establish. As I recall after TJs death Mike moved the program from Florida to either Reno or Las Vegas, changed the name of the airplane (I think Perigrine?), and got killed in one of the prototypes. I can't recall for sure if TJ was the original partner, can anybody refresh my memory?

Ron

[wyhdah]

Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?

Thanks to everyone for chiming in. I think the country was Uzbekistan or one of those 'stans and the word is TJ and the Russian pilot mad a low pass and on the return low pass the plane rolled inverted and crashed in that position. It's been a long time so please forgive my memory for mistakes. Both TJ and Mr. Gregory were great people and they would come at a moments notice for me when I was with the Georgia Southern Pilots Club and provide a program or just bring the planes up.

The aviation community lost a couple of great ambassadors with those two.

[chuck tucker]

Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?

YOU ARE CORRECT. INVERTED, AND NOSED INTO THE RUNWAY. CLYDE GREEN KNOWS MORE IF YOU COULD GET IN TOUCH WITH HIM IN KANSAS.

[Ron101502]

Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?

That's what I heard too. Also a rumor the airplane had some sort of voice recorder (never heard of that on a figher or trainer) the indicated confusion over who was flying. Doubt if there was any recorder.

[wyhdah]

Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?

Yeah Ron there were several rumors about the crash and TJ after that. I guess to me it doesn't really matter, I lost a friend and we lost a damn good pilot, that's all that matters to me.

[isbtown]

Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?

My name is Ian Brown and I am T.J's son. the information here is pretty accurate from what I was told. I appreciate all of the comments here.

Clyde Green is now the head mechanic for Sean D Tucker and has been for some time now. I do not know what happened to the other pilots. I know Randy did fly with the Red Baron team for a while but I am not sure if that is still the case.

Here is a video that was posted on Google of the team flying

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7505145626711979248#

[Stevo]

Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?

It's a shame you don't see airshow coverage like that anymore on TV.

[wyhdah]

Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?

Ian, it's good to see you on here. I hope you all are doing well. Right you are Stevo, I would settle for just some local coverage like that again.

[RBoyd]

Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?

They flew Pitts. He was a hell of a good guy and pilot.

http://books.google.com/books?id=q0Fzu9dnluMC&pg=PA129&lpg=PA129&dq=t+j+brown+killed+in+kazakhstan&source=bl&ots=5GIFzzUF2J&sig=euW7f6UASRXXqja0jdsc8RV11ew&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-4llUqSHHPKO2QXUvoCoAQ&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=t%20j%20brown%20killed%20in%20kazakhstan&f=false