Jim LeRoy facts for kids

Jim LeRoy was an amazing American pilot who flew planes in incredible ways! He was born on April 5, 1961, and sadly passed away on July 28, 2007. He died in a plane crash during an air show in Dayton, Ohio.

Jim LeRoy's Background

Jim LeRoy was once a Marine. He was a special scout and sniper. He also loved learning about planes! He earned a college degree in engineering, which is about designing and building things. He also had a special license to fix planes, called an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) license. This meant he knew a lot about how planes work.

Amazing Stunt Flying

Jim LeRoy was famous for his exciting aerobatics shows. Aerobatics is when pilots do amazing tricks and stunts in the air with their planes!

At first, Jim flew by himself. People loved watching his energetic shows. In 2003, Jim joined a brave and successful airshow group called the X-team. They even called themselves the "Masters of Disaster"!

The X-team shows were really special. Three pilots would fly their planes at the same time. They would weave and crisscross through the sky in a wild, amazing dance. Below them, special trucks with jet engines would make big clouds of smoke. This made the air show even more exciting!

After two great seasons of shows, something unexpected happened on July 10, 2005. Two other pilots, Jimmy Franklin and Bobby Younkin, accidentally crashed in the air. Jim LeRoy was not involved in this crash. He landed his plane safely.

Jim LeRoy was a very talented pilot. Only a few pilots have ever won two special awards for their showmanship:

• The Art Scholl Showmanship Award (which he won in 2002)
• The Bill Barber Award for Showmanship (which he won in 2003)

He was also one of the few pilots in the world who made a living just by performing at air shows. This means flying stunts was his full-time job!

Jim LeRoy had many different pilot ratings. This means he was qualified to fly many types of aircraft and teach others. He could fly single-engine planes, multi-engine planes, and even helicopters! He was also an instructor for planes and helicopters.

Jim LeRoy's Final Flight

On July 28, 2007, Jim LeRoy was performing at the Vectren Dayton Air Show in Ohio. He was flying his special plane, a S2S Bulldog II, as part of the X-Team.

Around 2:15 PM, he was doing a trick called a "1/2 Cuban 8" and then some quick rolls as he flew downwards. Sadly, he was too close to the ground to pull his plane up in time. His plane hit the runway and slid about 300 yards (270 m). The plane then caught fire.

Jim LeRoy died instantly from the impact. He was a true legend in the world of aerobatics.

See also

In Spanish: Jim LeRoy para niños