Jim LeRoy
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
aerobatics
Aerobatics
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight. Aerobatics are performed in airplanes and gliders for training, recreation, entertainment and sport...
pilot. A former US Marine Corps Scout
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
/Sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
, he held a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in Aeronautical/Aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
engineering as well as an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) license
Aircraft Maintenance Technician
Aircraft maintenance technician, as used in the United States, refers to an individual who holds a mechanic certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration; the rules for certification, and for certificate-holders, are detailed in Subpart D of Part 65 of the Federal Aviation Regulations ,...
.
Professional background
Initially flying solo performances, he gained a reputation with his highly energetic aerobatic displays. In 2003, LeRoy joined a daring and successful airshowAirshow
An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....
troupe, the X-team, who referred to themselves as the Masters of Disaster
Masters of Disaster
]The Masters of Disaster are an airshow team that performs edge of your seat aerobatics in combination with ground based jet-propelled trucks and pyrotechnics...
. Their performance generally consisted of three pilots flying a simultaneous, chaotic, interweaving aerobatic display through clouds of smoke generated by circling jet-powered trucks below. After two seasons of successful airshows, an accident occurred on July 10, 2005 during a routine performance when Jimmy Franklin and Bobby Younkin collided in mid-air. Jim LeRoy was not involved in the collision and landed safely.
LeRoy was one of only eleven pilots ever to be awarded both the Art Scholl
Art Scholl
Arthur Everett Scholl was an American aerobatic pilot, aerial cameraman, flight instructor and educator based in Southern California. He died during filming of Top Gun when his Pitts S-2 camera plane never recovered from a flat spin and plunged into the Pacific Ocean...
Showmanship Award (2002) and the Bill Barber Award for Showmanship (2003). He was also one of only a handful of full time air show
Air show
An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....
pilots in the world who actually made his living by performing for air show audiences.
LeRoy also held the following pilot ratings: single-engine, multi-engine, airplane instructor, helicopter, helicopter instructor, instrument instructor and aerobatic competency evaluator.
Death
LeRoy was pronounced dead on July 28, 2007 in a military MEDEVACMEDEVAC
Medical evacuation, often termed Medevac or Medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being evacuated from the battlefield or to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of an accident to receiving medical facilities using...
helicopter while in transit to Miami Valley Hospital
Miami Valley Hospital
Miami Valley Hospital is a large urban hospital located in Dayton, Ohio and is a member of the Premier Health Partners network. The hospital has a second location named Miami Valley Hospital South in Centerville, Ohio. It currently has the Dayton region's only level I trauma center and also has a...
in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. LeRoy had crashed around 2:15PM EST at the Vectren
Vectren
Vectren Corporation is an energy holding company headquartered in Evansville, Indiana. Through its utility subsidiaries , the company distributes natural gas to approximately one million business and residential customers in Indiana and Ohio...
Dayton Air Show
Dayton Air Show
The Vectren Dayton Air Show is an annual event at the Dayton International Airport in Vandalia, Ohio, eight miles north of Dayton, Ohio. The history of flight exhibitions dating back to 1910 by the Wright Company. The city is the home of the Wright Brothers and the true birthplace of aviation, as...
at the Dayton International Airport
Dayton International Airport
James M. Cox Dayton International Airport , also referred to as simply Dayton International Airport, is a public airport located nine miles north of the central business district of Dayton, a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. The airport is situated in Vandalia and it is owned and...
during a performance in his S2S Bulldog II
Pitts Special
The Pitts Special is a series of light aerobatic biplane designed by Curtis Pitts. It has accumulated many competition wins since its first flight in 1944...
with the X-Team Codename: Mary's Lamb aerobatics team. Initial indications show that he was performing a 1/2 Cuban 8
Aerobatic maneuver
Aerobatic maneuvers are flight paths putting aircraft in unusual attitudes, in air shows, dog fights or competition aerobatics. Aerobatics can be performed by a single aircraft or in formation with several others...
and snap rolls on the 45 degree down line , but recovered too low to the ground to pull out. He hit the runway at 200 mph but he hit horizontally which would equal 75 miles an hour and the plane slid and burst into flames. The coroner
Forensic pathology
Forensic pathology is a branch of pathology concerned with determining the cause of death by examination of a corpse. The autopsy is performed by the pathologist at the request of a coroner or medical examiner usually during the investigation of criminal law cases and civil law cases in some...
's report states that LeRoy died on impact due to a fracture
Fracture
A fracture is the separation of an object or material into two, or more, pieces under the action of stress.The word fracture is often applied to bones of living creatures , or to crystals or crystalline materials, such as gemstones or metal...
of his neck, but that he also was badly burnt.
LeRoy is survived by his wife, Joanie and son, Tommy.