Skytypers Air Show Team

The Skytypers Air Show Team are an aerobatic team that perform at airshows around the United States using six SNJ-2 World War II-era planes. The team is sponsored by Geico. Known as skytyping, the aircraft perform low-level flying maneuvers and also create aerial smoke messages that are created via computer-controlled smoke puffs. [http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/07/airshow.crash.ap/index.html Pilot killed in stunt plane crash at Virginia Navy base] , CNN.com, updated 10:31 p.m. EDT, Fri September 7, 2007]

In April 2007, the Skytypers performed the missing man formation in a special tribute to Kevin "Kojak" Davis who was killed in the 2007 Blue Angels South Carolina crash. [http://the-jetsstream.wehaa-server.com/catalog.php?catalog_id=18 Lowcountry Mourns Loss of Fallen Blue Angel] ^{( [http://www.thejetstreamonline.com/issues/pdfs/jet042707.pdf PDF version] )}, The Jet Stream online, USMC, April 27 2007 print edition]

2007 accident

On Friday September 7 2007, flight leader Jan Wildbergh was killed while returning to the runway following a successful rehearsal for the annual Naval Air Station Oceana Air Show in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Jan was the last in line to land but did not complete the break in formation after the last maneuver, a flyover at show center. Instead, the aircraft continued straight ahead losing altitude until it hit the ground. According to the team spokesman, Jan was too low to use his parachute and did not have an ejection seat. The airshow is scheduled to go on. [http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=9d9c7d36-cceb-47ec-a7e6-95a6b102f05c Pilot Lost In GEICO SkyTypers Accident At NAS Oceana] , Aero-news.net, update as of 09.07.07 1635 EDT]

References

External links

* [http://www.skytyping.com Skytypers' website skytyping.com]