Born in Long Island NY, he is son of a Marine Aviator and Test Pilot. He graduated from University of Minnesota, where he was an All-American Swimmer and NROTC Midshipman. Upon graduation he entered Naval Flight Training. Upon receipt of his Naval Aviator Wings he was selected as the first freshly winged pilot to fly the F14 Tomcat.
Captain Snodgrass retired after 26 years and 7 Squadron/Wing tours including Command of Fighter Squadron 33 and Commander of Fighter Wing US Atlantic Fleet.
He retired with 7800 Fighter hours, 1200 Carrier landings and the High Time F14 Pilot with 5000 Hours in type.
Airshow background includes F14 Demo Pilot for 3 tours including the formation of the first Tactical Fighter Warbird Airshow Formation Flights …The Flight of the Grumman Cats which included an F7F , F6F , F4F , F9F and F14. Captain Snodgrass has flown over 400 airshows as a surface solo and formation aerobatic performer as well a USAF Heritage Flight pilot for 10 years flying The F86 , P51 and P40. He is currently Chief Pilot for Draken International flying A4, L159 and L39’s.
I will always remember the funny story he told me about his parent's first date -
his Dad took his Mom up for aerobatics in a PT-22 Ryan. Lovely airplane.
Looks like the accident investigation has wrapped and the evidence shows the control locking mechanism was on. What an utter waste.
I don’t know about you folks but these sorts of things get me thinking about why it hasn’t happened to me and if it’s dumb luck or something I do on purpose. In my own case I’ll use a checklist when provided and sort of a memory catch-all otherwise but CIGARS doesn’t include a control check. There are other times before takeoff I check control freedom but thinking on it they may be somewhat conditional. I guess I’m checking every time from here on out.
I remember when that happened. Does anyone else? I doubt it.
Everyone thinks I'm the stupidest person to ever strap on an airplane, but I assert:
THERE WILL BE NO NEW CAUSES OF AVIATION ACCIDENTS THIS YEAR
If one accepts that assertion as axiomatic, therefore all future accidentswill be replays of previous ones.
What does that mean? Well, if you review enough aircraft accidents, you will prepared when that happens
to you - and you will be able to recognize the trap you're about to fall into, and break the chain, and
stop the accident from happening.
I know, I know, I know. I'm really stupid. Boy, do I ever get that narrative. DELIVERED LOUD AND CLEAR.
But if I'm so stupid, why are all my friends dead, and I'm still alive?
I know I'm really stupid, but one thing I have learned in my half-century of accident-free aviation is that very very bad things happen when pilots get in a hurry.
They leave the control locks on.
They leave the gear up during approach.
They pull back the wrong throttle in a twin after EFATO.
Feel free to think I'm a moron compared to you, but I am NEVER in a hurry in an airplane. My hands
are never a blur. And I'm alive. And so many people are dead.
Stay ahead of the aircraft. Less is more. And don't EVER let anyone talk you into doing something stupid in an airplane. You don't need any help, there.
-- EDIT --
Apologies for the obnoxious rant. After many decades, I have gotten rather good at them.
I just get really pissed off and angry when better pilots than me, die in airplanes.
Freddy at Cozumel.
Billy in the Hudson.
Snort in a taildragger.
Jim Leroy at Dayton.
Bobby Younkin and Jimmy Franklin at Moose Jaw.
All of the above guys were absolute wizards in the cockpit.
Let me know when you can do that.
I think it was the first time I went to OSH - maybe around 1990 - I sat in amazement and watch Bobby Younkin fly
surface aerobatics in a Beech 18. I didn't know that airplane could do that. I didn't know there were pilots that good.
Remember at OSH when they used to have guys line up for the east/west runway (eg 27) then at the last moment tell them
to turn 90 degrees to land on the north-south runway (18) if they were warbirds/showplanes? They don't do that any more AFAIK.
I used to sit and watch the result of that. I think it was a Fouga Magister that stalled in the turn from final 27 to final 18
and crashed, bent a wing badly, and started spinning like a top towards the parked T-28's and I was thinking, that's gonna
hurt if he hits their landing gear and drops a T-28 on top of him. They must be pretty heavy.
