They flew Pitts. He was a hell of a good guy and pilot.
-
-
Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?
Was he the guy who got killed in Russia or somewhere in one of the old Sovjet states? His partner died in the F-86 crash at El Toro some years back.
T J -
Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?
Yeah it was Uzbekistan I believe. I was an officer in the Georgia Southern University Pilots Association at the time. He was really good to us.
Some members of his team talked about flying ILS approaches in total IMC while in formation with the Pitts. T.J. said they had gyros they could cage while performing but those planes were full IFR certified.
I can't believe no one else remembers them they put on a good show.Comment
-
Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?
I ferried Don Johnson's Rebel 300 way back, out of an airshow at Quebec, Canada and met TJ and the Holiday Inn team.
They were very proficient and flew a lot of shows per year.
T.J. told me about the IFR operational waiver when I saw him filing to leave Monday am after the airshow. They blasted off, flight of four, into the soup. Very cool.
Does anyone remember his partner's name from Jacksonville, Jim something I think, and know where his Super Ventura went to?
Chris...Comment
-
Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?
Hello All,
I do remember these folks. Back in 1990 TJ and his company (National Airshows, I think it was) awarded me a scholarship to fly. His lead mechanic, Clyde Green, was my flight instructor. I trained in a Citabria 7ECA tail-dragger and received my license in 1991.
A friend an I would pull all his planes out of the hanger (4 Pitts, 2 gliders, 1 F86, 1 Tri-wing Folker replica, 1 Citabria, and 1 twin engine something or another) and would sweep and scrub the hanger floors in exchange for flight time.
T.J. was an incredible person ... remarkably generous.Comment
-
Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?
Jim Gregory I think. No idea on the Ventura though.Originally posted by Chris McMillin
T JComment
-
Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?
So true. Sounds like something he would do.Originally posted by BoriaComment
-
Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?
TJ started a 3 ship team called the Black Hawks flying new Pitts S2Bs in the Kansas City area out of grain Valley and Lees summit airports. YJ took one wing and skip Prest was the other wing and leader was John Morrissey although TJ owned the team. I was slated to fly the fourth ship in slot position which was to be a single seat Pitts S2S as was the lead ship. I was replaced by someone else, Soon they got sponsored by Holiday Inn and later added Coke as a sponsor.
TJ was a hard driver who had a great aptitude for life and believed anything was possible. He had considerable combat time in SEA and was a graduate of USAF test pilot school.
Why he perished in USSR somewhere has been rumored to be a fight over the controls with his host pilot. I don't know, but we lost one truly memorable character.
cheers....George "Zip" Andre, Team Zipper Air Racing
Formula One race 1, Zipper, and Biplane race 18, Zippitts
Comment
-
Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?
Yes I remember hearing about him alot back in the day. He was lost a few months after the El Toro Crash. I saw him and Jim flying the Mig and F-86, the day before Jim's unrehearsed F-86 routine.
JohnComment
-
Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?
hello Guys
Here is a photo circa 1992 of the holiday inn and coca cola pitts flying in formation with Team America and their Falco 260. They were Performing at the Old Ramey AFB in Puerto Rico.
JuanAttached FilesComment
-
-
Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?
Good pics juan thanks for posting.Comment
-
Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?
This is an OLD post. But I had to respond to it. I was only a kid, but I was at the El toro show in the VIP seats when that f-86 went down. The announcer Had said that the pilot of the MIG in the mock dog fight was ill and so T.J. would be doing a solo routine in the F-86. It crashed coming out of a loop less than two minutes after take off. I remember seeing the ambulance heading for the spot where the plane stopped skidding. I could see Pam in the back crying in the back. I'll never forget the heat of the fire when it hit, the look on his wife's face, or the announcement a few hours later that T.J. had died.Comment
-
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
Comment
-
Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?
I'M CHUCK TUCKER & I WAS HONORED TO BE THE GUY THAT DID THE GRAPHICS FOR NATIONAL AIRSHOWS. KEPT THE PLANES ARTWORK UP TO SPEED. FIRST WAS JIM GREGORY TO LOSE HIS LIFE, THEN A YEAR OR SO LATER TJ WAS GONE. THE PLANE THAT YOU MENTIONED AS SOMETHING OR ANOTHER WAS A TWIN ENG. APACHE. I WAS SO SAD TO SEE THE TEAM DISMANTLE, BUT I THINK EDDIE MERCHANT OWNS A TEAM, & CLYDE BOUGHT AN AIRPORT?Comment
-
Re: Does anyone here remember T.J. Brown and the Coca Cola/Holiday Inn airshow team?
HIS NAME WAS JIM GREGORY.. OWNED SEVERAL TACO BELL'S IN GA & FLA. HE WAS A GREAT GUYOriginally posted by stuntflyr View PostComment
Comment