On the Friday following Darren’s accident, here is what I recall from the day me remembered Darren …

The Newspaper …

SHARON, MASS. The former aviation director and aircraft technician at the Owls Head Transportation Museum was tragically killed Friday when his newly purchased vintage aircraft crashed in Sharon, Mass.

Darren Banfield, 37, of Brookline, N.H., had just purchased the Cessna T-50 floatplane in New Bedford, Mass., according to the Associated Press. The crash occurred in a wooded area 50 yards away from Massapoag Lake, where Banfield could have attempted a water landing, according to the report. Banfield managed the museum’s collection of 28 vintage airplanes from 1998 to 2001, according to Executive Director Charles Chiarchiaro. As aviation director, Banfield was also responsible for the museum’s aircraft collection and a cadre of volunteers. Darren Banfield, who managed the aircraft collection at the Owls Head Transportation Museum, was killed Friday in a vintage airplane crash in Massachusetts. (Image courtesy of George Hoyt/OHTM) Chiarchiaro said Banfield was one of the most enthusiastic pilots the museum has ever employed; his enthusiasm was matched only by his skill in the cockpit of an aircraft.  Banfield could fly anything, Chiarchiaro said, "with wings or without."  "He could fly a magic carpet," the executive director said. "During his years on the staff of the museum, he used his energy, enthusiasm and ability to inspire and excite thousands of visitors."  Banfield had extensive experience flying vintage aircraft, and had taken off from New Bedford after purchasing the Cessna T-50 a few hours before.  He reportedly was en route to Amesbury, Mass., near the New Hampshire border with Massachusetts.  Banfield was also the president of the New England Aircraft Association, and ran a company in New Hampshire called Golden Age Restoration.

The remembrance …

Darren died in an airplane crash bringing a Cessna T50 Bobcat (Bamboo Bomber) back to his restoration shop. the plane was over gross, with floats, and one engine failed. He flew it until it would fly no longer and just 50 feet short of the lake, I ran out of altitude. He missed the houses. Hi missed the family outings. He missed everything that would have made the situation worse for others. He flew the plane until it would fly no more.

For the service, they performed a formation fly by and then scattered the ashes across the field. The biplanes did a formation flyby with Rob Holland flying Darren’s Bucker as the missing man. Once the planes landed, everyone gathered to tell their stories. Even though Darren was only in his 30’s the stories flowed and flowed – people standing up and telling stories of there experiences with Darren and then a slide show of his antics through out his life. It was really positive. What was most amazing was the turnout – there had to be 350 people at Darren’s hangar. There were lots of stories and some really funning and telling pictures. The one I liked most is the one I include here. Thanks Darren.

A special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category is issued to operate an aircraft that does not have a type certificate or does not conform to its type certificate and is in a condition for safe operation.  Additionally, this certificate is issued to operate a primary category kit-built aircraft that was assembled without the supervision and quality control of the production certificate holder.

source: FAA

Here is a case in point. The Boeing 787 is still an "experimental aircraft" because it has not yet been issued "type certificate". All experimental aircraft must clearly be marked for all passengers. The 787 is no exception. Look above the passenger egress. (image credit: NBC Nightly News)

In the spring of 2008, [the music group] Sons of Maxwell were traveling to Nebraska for a one-week tour and my Taylor guitar was witnessed being thrown by United Airlines baggage handlers in Chicago. I discovered later that the $3500 guitar was severely damaged. They didn’t deny the experience occurred … So I promised the last person to finally say “no” to compensation (Ms. Irlweg) that I would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos …Video created by Curve Productions Inc. of Halifax, NS

source: Dave Carroll Music.com

Date/Time : 2002:06:01 12:00:39
Resolution : 3040 x 2016
Focal length 35mm equivalent : 400 mm
Exposure time: 1/1500
Aperture : f 9.2
ISO : 320

As with so many aspects of the the farmhouse project, the hangar door is �not quite done�. There is still the matter of weather stripping and flashing as well as installing the open position limiter switch and finishing securing the hydraulic lines. Still, it works and everyone not familiar with hangar doors just stare the first time they see it open. The door weighs about 4200 lbs and is operated by twin 5800 lbs force pistons.

The end wall of the farmhouse project is a single panel Hydromax hydraulic lift door. It covers forty-four of the sixty foot span. Until it was installed, the entire end wall was basically a hole. The door arrived on a few weeks ago and has finally been assembled and installed. The hydraulics are not in yet and the door still needs to be �skinned� like the rest of the building but it is in.

The process took the better part of a day for four guys. First, the top half needed to be mated to the bottom half and then spliced together. The documentation was a bit thin as it assumed the installers were from the factory. But we managed. Once the door was whole, we added the top hinge and then the vertical frames. The entire unit is lifted into place and at this point every hopes all the measurements are right as the assembly is about 4000 pounds. We had a bit of difficulty as we used a boom lift. A crane would have been easier since it would have given some lateral adjustments whereas we only had vertical and depth movement. We eventually used pry bars and a small manually winch to shift it into position.

All was good but not perfect. The vertical �I� beams were about 1� too long so they needed to be notched with a cutting torch. Finally, the door was in place, squared, and plum. It was blocked at the bottom and the boom lift held it tight against the building�s framing. The day ended with the welder and an assistant tacking the hinge at each of the vertical beams from the building. Another day of welding remains where the side frames will be welded into place, reinforced, and the hinge will get its finish welds. The attachment points will be wire brushed clean and the sprayed with primer.

For those Warner Brothers fans, I took a cue from the 1949 Rabbit of Seville and edited the day�s work into 2m20s video. Enjoy !

I was signed up for the full boat – the multi-engine commercial instrument certification. However, after earning my private pilot wings and then my instrument rating, I thought a bit and realized that I was already in my 30′s and I had a career which was not as an airline pilot. So, I walked into the training office and said; “I don’t think I want my commercial multi-engine ticket. What else can I do?” I was greeted with an ala-cart menu and I chose most of it! One of the options I signed up for was a tailwheel endorsement.

For those not too familiar with airplanes, there are two types – nose wheel airplanes and tailwheel airplanes. The latter was all there was early on and was the norm through the golden age of aviation. Eventually, planes started getting nose wheels and the tailwheel style aircraft became “antique”. The origins remain today as the term “conventional gear” still refers to a tailwheel airplane while nose wheel aircraft are call “tricycle”. Not that anyone should read anything into that … cough cough.

Tailwheel aircraft fly just like all the rest but they take of and land a bit different. Different enough to require special training. Once I got my tailwheel endorsement, that was all I really wanted to fly. Part of it was that most tailwheel airplanes are either much older or much more interesting – eg nearly all aerobatic planes are tailwheel. I did take some aerobatic training but most of my flying after flight school was in older planes … much older. I finally settled on J3 Cubs and Stearmans.

You fly these old planes by feel. There is truly something to that saying “flying by the seat of your pants”. Back in flight school I had a chance to fly with the chief instructor. Walter Kronig was probably in his late 60′s when I met him. He had some time in B17s and B25s as well as a collection of airliners common to the 60′s 70′s and early 80′s. When he first flew with me he exclaimed so loud I didn’t need the intercom; “WHO’S BEEN TEACHING YOU TO FLY ?!” … Although he actually knew the answer – “his instructors” – he took it in and then shot back, “IF THAT’S THE CASE, THEN EVERY ONE OF THEM IS GETTING 5 HOURS WITH ME IN THIS AIRPLANE.” He was referring to a 1946 Aeronca Champ – an airplane with only 65hp and no electronics AT ALL.

I learned more from Walter about the connetion between me and the airplane in that one 90 minute lesson than I had learned in the previous 125 hours of flight time. He had me taking 90 degree cross wind landings, flying furrow lines at 15 feet, and side slipping out of 500 ft for the deck. I learned to judge my airspeed by the sound of the wind across the wings and the condition of the engine by the firing of the cylinders. I also learned to make the proper turn with balanced rudder and stick but the feel of my butt in the seat and not looking at the instruments. By the end of that one lesson, he had explained, in practice and not theory, the difference between being a pilot and being an “airplane driver”.

I am reminded a lot of his lessons and his words when I see some of the new aircraft systems being produced. I think there is a lot to be taught and a lot to be learned from the old airplanes. Yes, I agree these new aircraft make for a safer pilot experience but I disagree that they make for better pilots.