US KC-135 Down - Kyrgyzstan

[smfry]

Graduated UPT with Tyler Voss. I'm currently in theater...wondering if I had A/R'd with him at some point. Damn tough loss.

RIP Tyler and your crew :beer:

[slackline]

A CSAR helo has been launched

A grim hunt for 3 survivors.

A burned patch is found, now hallowed ground.

“I need vectors to the tanker.”

While generally a pretty sweet homage to the tanker and the important mission it accomplishes, I've never worked with one.

Cheers to the crew though! I have a lot of good friends in the tanker community, and it sucks to lose your guys in any way. Thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends.

[B*D*A]

Voss was a buddy of mine. We had summer ops together and became good friends. Just a sad, shitty thing to happen. Godspeed my brother.

:beer:

[afnav]

If any kind of memorial fund is set up at Fairchild, please post or PM me.

Thanks.

[WABoom]

If any kind of memorial fund is set up at Fairchild, please post or PM me.

Thanks.

They are trying to get one going as we speak, I will post a link as soon as it's available.

[Stitch]

To Tyler and crew.

:beer:

Godspeed.

[Blueman]

I was roommates with Voss for a semester at the zoo and worked basic with Tori... Both will be missed! A toast...

[murdocjxx]

Crew identified...so sad. Godspeed, lady & gents. https://www.khq.com/story/22165013/fairchild-airmen-killed-in-kc-135-crash-identified

A seven month old son.......God damnit.......

[Cap-10]

If any kind of memorial fund is set up at Fairchild, please post or PM me.

Thanks.

The River Rats / Air Warrior Courage Foundation have been in contact with the SQ/CC, who passed us off the FLO's.

Once we get the go ahead from the surviving spouses, 529 college accounts will be set up for the children.

I'll post the donation info as soon as its official.

Cheers,

Cap-10

[zrooster99]

Here's a toast...

[Hammer]

There is a T-Shirt campaign to raise money for the families...

https://campaign.customink.com/shell77

[dontshavemyhead]

There is a T-Shirt campaign to raise money for the families...

https://campaign.customink.com/shell77

Is this site legit? No Https, just a pop up for credit card info.....

[Hammer]

Is this site legit? No Https, just a pop up for credit card info.....

I used to use CustomInk for barcrawls in college. It's legit.

[stick]

Has the call sign Shell 77 been retired?

400 t-shirts sold in an afternoon; word is $6.25 of the $20 dollar purchase price goes towards a fund for the families.

[JarheadBoom]

Has the call sign Shell 77 been retired?

I hope someone, with the power to do so, has made that decision.

:jd:

[Hammer]

SPOKANE, Wash. - Captain Tyler Voss had a passion for flying and was actually in the process of building a plane at Felts Field for the past two years. Now a group of pilots will finish that plane in tribute to their friend.

Inside the Experimental Aircraft Associations hangar things are unusually quiet. In the corner surrounded by parts and tools, a hand built RV-8 sits draped in an American flag. It is just hours from being finished.

The plane was being built by Captain Tyler Voss in hopes of getting it airborne before he was deployed. Just four days ago Captain Voss was killed along with two other airmen from Fairchild when their KC-135 went down in Kyrgyzstan.

The 27-year-old joined the EAA two years ago and was one of the group's youngest members.

During his time in the hangar and on the flightline, Captain Voss had the chance to share his passion with other pilots doing two things he loved: building and flying planes.

Members in the group are now going to volunteer their time to finish building Captain Voss' plane before it's given back to his family as a tribute to their friend and fallen hero.

At this year's Armed Forces Torchlight Parade there will be a special flyover in a missing man formation in honor of the crew from Fairchild.

link with video/pics: https://www.khq.com/story/22190054/aircraft-group-plans-to-finish-capt-voss-airplane-as-a-tribute

I'd like to buy these guys a few rounds.

[Breckey]

Ditto

[nunya]

I'm sure some tools or credit at https://www.aircraftspruce.com/ would be useful. Actually... I'm going to get in touch with the EAA chapter up there and see what they need to complete the RV. I'll post back here for anyone interested.

Edited May 8, 2013 by nunya

[discus]

I'm sure some tools or credit at https://www.aircraftspruce.com/ would be useful. Actually... I'm going to get in touch with the EAA chapter up there and see what they need to complete the RV. I'll post back here for anyone interested.

Yeah, please do. I'm in to give Aircraft Spruce some *more* of my money. Especially for this.

[moosepileit]

3.

Hangar bums are the best.

[di1630]

Found this interesting on weather as a possible cause.

https://www.kxly.com/news/spokane-news/was-weather-factor-in-deadly-kc135-crash/-/101214/20071914/-/pdp945z/-/index.html

[Runr6730]

An on-line fundraiser has been set-up. All donations will go directly to the families of Capt Tyler Voss, Capt Victoria Pinckney, and TSgt Tre Mackey and will be evenly disbursed among the families.

Link:

https://www.youcaring.com/help-a-neighbor/honoring-shell-77/58326

[Prosuper]

It appears that we do not have in possession of the FDR and CVR and the locals are going to give it to the Russians to read. It sounds like the State Dept defering to everyone except us. On a second thought, it was fortunate that it crashed in a open area, if one civilian or farm animal died we would be packing up Manas to the AOR. Never trust a Krgy!!

https://www.eurasianet.org/node/66935

[nunya]

I got a reply from the President of EAA 79:

Thanks so much for your generous offer. We will be organizing an effort to get Tyler's plane finished. This is all very new and nothing is happening yet. We will be having a meeting to work out plans. I will keep you posted.

Thanks again,

Jack Hohner

EAA79 president

I'll post what I hear.

And he sent me their most recent newsletter honoring Tyler:

2013-MAY NEWSLETTER COLOR.pdf

[HiFlyer]

It appears that we do not have in possession of the FDR and CVR and the locals are going to give it to the Russians to read. It sounds like the State Dept defering to everyone except us. On a second thought, it was fortunate that it crashed in a open area, if one civilian or farm animal died we would be packing up Manas to the AOR. Never trust a Krgy!!

https://www.eurasianet.org/node/66935

Perhaps I am dating myself, but the -135 did not have recorders like civilian airliners when I was flying them. Did we equip them with FDR/CVR equipment over the last few years? After careful re-reading of the article, it sounds like its full of questionable assumptions and half truths.