GC72WGK Aviation Cache: And Then There Were Three (Traditional Cache) in Iowa, United States created by captainj

GC72WGK ▼

A cache by captainj Message this owner

Hidden : 4/26/2017

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Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

Iowa City Press Citizen Headline, Aug 31, 1970

During an airshow on August 30, 1970, Blue Angel pilot Ernie Christensen made a mistake.

Blue Angel #4 Belly Landing at the Eastern Iowa Airport

"It was at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, during a show," said the man who flew in the slot of the famed diamond formation of the Navy's exhibition flying team. "It was in September 1970 and the whole day had been bad. The weather was louosy and the site was hard to fly around and we just weren't doing everything well."

Christensen's mistake was in failing to put his landing wheels down - it was what fliers call a "hot landing" and Christensent's plane skidded down the runway and caught fire. He was just able to jump out before the Phantom jet exploded into flames and nearly instantly became a total loss. Christensen jumped from the plane and still carries a reminder - he has two vertebrae that hurt."