Howard Pardue taxies in his beautiful aircraft at the Reno Air Races in September 1985. He would take fifth place in the Unlimited Silver Class race with an average course speed of 359.415 mph. This aircraft was one of two original prototypes built out of an eventual run of 1,266 airframes, and still flies to this day. (OPShots Slide Collection - Photographer Unknown)
Airshow performer and air race pilot Howard Pardue died on Wednesday when his Grumman F8F Bearcat crashed shortly after takeoff from his home field of Stephens County Airport in Breckenridge, Texas, located about 100 miles west of Dallas. The Bearcat, one of only 15 or so airworthy F8Fs in the world, had just taken off when it crashed and caught fire. Pardue, 77, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a report in a local newspaper.A former Marine Corps pilot and instructor, Pardue was a veteran Reno air racer, airshow performer and member of an historical tribute flying team, the Navy Legacy Flight team, which performs formation flights with front line Navy fighters of today. After news of the crash came out, friends of Pardue were effusive in their praise for his flying skill and his character.
