When did Bi-Plane pilot, and car dealer Charlie Hilliard of Ft Worth, TX die?

Question

What were the surrounding circumstances?

Answer 1

Charlie Hillard, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, began working toward his dream of flight by dusting cars in his father's auto dealership at the age of ten. By the age of fifteen, he had saved enough money to secretly learn to fly and purchased his own airplane during his freshman year of college. When he was eighteen, he took up the sport of skydiving, earned a place on the United States skydiving team in 1958, and placed second at the "Coupe de Monde" in France. That same summer, he became the first person in the U.S. to pass a baton in freefall.

Giving up skydiving to concentrate on precision aerobatic flying, he won the national championship and represented the U.S. in four world championships, becoming the first American to win the world aerobatic title in 1972.

Charlie had over 15,000 flying house and planned to continue his airshow career when an accident following an airshow performance claimed his life in 1996.

During his flying career, Charlie Hillard worked as an aircraft designer, test pilot, exhibition pilot, movie stunt pilot, and led the world famous Eagle Aerobatic Team for more than 25 years. He took an active role in both civic and aviation industry leadership.He died in an accident following an airshow in 1996.

Answer 2

All of the above is very accurate, just in addition - Charlie brought home the gold for the US Aerobatic Team in 1972 with a maneuver that he invented and is now a staple of aerobatic performances - the torque roll.

Charlie was killed in an unfortunate accident in his Hawker Sea Fury. While taxiing the aircraft, a brake grabbed causing the aircraft to flip over on the ground. There is a vertical stiffener in the tail of the Sea Fury to prevent the cockpit from being crushed in such an accident, but when th aircraft flipped over the tail landed in soggy earth and became buried in the soil. Charlie was crushed in the cockpit.

Charlie also flew for many years as one of the Red Devils who later became the EAA Eagles aerobatic team. The other members were Tom Poberezny and Gene Soucy.

His lovely widow Darlene still lives in Fort Worth and is very active on the air show circuit...

Answer 3

Charlie Hillard

Answer 4

I agree a 100%..