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Below is a mail I received from Rick regatding Don Goodman's time
as an Air Tanker pilot, he has allowed me to post it, as it's one of those occations when you can almost taste the Slurry
and smell the fuel on the tarmac at Grand Valley, CO
Howdy,
I would like to first compliment on your site,as it brings back memories
starting in 1964, in Missoula Montana,when as a young man I went to work for Region One USFS as a radio operator.As part of
my duties I dispatched and tracked all regional aircraft flying for the Forest Service from the Regional Radio station KOD70.
During this time I met Don Goodman,a pilot who had a TBM A22,(ACE DOUBLE DUCE) . Don had flown for Johnson flying Service
in Missoula, and had gone out on his own as a contract pilot.
A book could be written about this man,and his abilities,and his
struggle to make a paying career of flying. I first ran into him when I went to his plane to install a FS radio and give it
a radio check. Here was a blond headed guy with a great smile, and covered with grease from working on the plane. Parked along
side the plane was a 50 s Hudson, and in the back seat was a baby that Don was looking after. What should have been a 10 minute
job turned into a couple hours ,as I was totally intrigued by the man.
To make a long story short I ended up working with Don,on the TBM,
he had a house and shop on Reserve St,not far from where I lived,and would tow the plane through town to work on it during
the winter. One year the county said no more towing, so we just flew it out early one morning using Reserve St as a runway.
He met a wonderful woman.in 1966,Ing was her name and she was a deposed
German countess,and Dons world had finally come together.
He purchased the first 26,in 69 I believe and we spent the winter
tanking it. It was flown by a pilot he hired, and ended up in the corn field in Idaho in 1973.
About this time Don purchased another 26 ,and tanked it for
a BLM contract.He had finally reached a point where he was making money, all he wanted was one more good year,and after
the headaches of hiring pilots,he was going to do the job himself.We had many discussions,and disagreements about Dons
age (60) and it was not that he was not an exceptional pilot,the bottom line was that the plane was a young mans airplane.
We drifted apart as I was involved in a new job and I had not seen
Don for a year or so.
In 1976 he died doing what he loved best,dropping slurry on a fire
in Colorado.
I did not find out till I met Ing some months later in the store,as
the services were held in Idaho.
I feel fortunate that I was part of the era when aerial fire fighting
was growing, and to have been around all the different warbirds, and having ridden in most of them and knowing the pi;pilots
was some of the happiest years of my life.
There is a great book that was written about Johnson Flying Service,
and is a story of its own. It is called Fly The Biggest Piece Back,and it is very well done.
Thanks for the great site.
Best Regards
Rick Leavell
Seattle Washington
Thanks Rick, the books already on order
Serial #: 44-35323
Construction #:
28602
Civil Registration:
N8026E
CF-CDD
Model(s):
A-26C
RB-26C
Name:
Ginny Sue
Status: Airworthy
Last info: 2002
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History:
Delivered to USAAF as A-26C/44-35323, March
1945.
- Delivered to ETO, April, 1945.
- Returned to U.S.A., July 1945.
- Assigned to 4255th Base Unit, Granada Field,
MS,
July 1945-Feb. 1946.
- Transferred to 4160th Base Unit, Hobbs Field, NM,
Feb. 1946-Sept.
1947.
- Transferred to 4185th Base Unit, Hill AFB, UT, Sept. 1947.
- Redesignated B-26C, July 1948.
- Transferred
to 67th TRW/12th TRS/Far East Air Force,
Tague Airbase, Korea, June 1951.
- Equipped with large nose mounted
camera and
redesignated RB-26C.
- Transferred to 183rd Transport Squadron/Air National Guard,
Hawkins, MI, 1956.
- Transferred to Davis-Monthan AFB for storage, Dec. 1957.
L.B. Smith Aircraft Corp, Miami, FL, July
1958
- Registered as N8026E.
Kreitzberg Aviation, Inc., Salem, OR, 1966.
Aeroflight Inc, Troutdale, OR, 1969
Aero
Union Corp, Chino, CA, 1969.
- Converted to air tanker configuration.
- Flown as tanker #55.
Conair Aviation Ltd.,
Abbotsford, BC, May 1970.
- Registered as CF-CDD.
Aero Union Corp, Chico, CA. Sep. 1970-1972
- Reregistered as N8026E.
-
Flew as tanker #C55.
William Dempsey, East Wenatchee, WA, 1977.
- Flew as tanker #55
Don A. Goodman, Missoula, MT,
1977
Lester Riley, Anchorage, AK, Circa 1978.
- Used as a "River Sander", dropping sand and crushed coral
on frozen rivers to aid in ice breakup.
- Also used as fire bomber.
Dr. Don Rogers, Anchorage, AK, Circa 1979.
The
Air Museum, Chino, CA, July 1980-1992
- Flown as "435323/Ginny Sue.
The Air Museum/Planes Of Fame, Valle, AZ,
2002.
- Static Display.
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Serial #: 44-34146
Construction #:
27425
Civil Registration:
N5426E
Model(s):
A-26B
B-26B
Name: None
Status:
Destroyed
Last info: 1976
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History:
Rock Island Oil & Refining Co, Wichita,
KS, 1966-1969.
- Registered as N5426E.
- Planned conversion to Monarch 26 configuration not completed.
Aeronautical
Services Corp, Cheyenne, WY, 1964.
Don A. Goodman, Missoula, MT, 1969-1976.
- Forced landing off airport, Idaho
Falls, ID, July 10, 1973.
- Crashed and destroyed after striking a mountain during a fire bombing run, Grand Valley, CO,
July 16, 1976.
- Goodman killed.
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Note
NTSB Identification: DEN76AD058
14 CFR Part 91 General
Aviation
Event occurred Friday, July 16, 1976 in GRAND VALLEY, CO
Aircraft: DOUGLAS A-26B, registration: N5426E
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FILE DATE LOCATION AIRCRAFT DATA INJURIES FLIGHT PILOT DATA
F S M/N PURPOSE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3-2444 76/7/16 NR.GRAND VALLEY,CO DOUGLAS A-26B CR- 1 0 0 COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL, AGE 58, 7000
TIME - 0850 N5426E PX- 0 0 0 FIRE CONTROL TOTAL HOURS, 200 IN TYPE,
DAMAGE-DESTROYED OT- 0 0 0 INSTRUMENT RATED.
DEPARTURE POINT INTENDED DESTINATION
GRAND JUNCTION,CO RETURN
TYPE OF ACCIDENT PHASE OF OPERATION
COLLISION WITH GROUND/WATER: CONTROLLED IN FLIGHT: OTHER
PROBABLE CAUSE(S)
PILOT IN COMMAND - FAILED TO FOLLOW APPROVED PROCEDURES,DIRECTIVES,ETC.
PILOT IN COMMAND - MISJUDGED ALTITUDE AND CLEARANCE
FACTOR(S)
MISCELLANEOUS ACTS,CONDITIONS - JETTISONED LOAD
FIRE AFTER IMPACT
REMARKS- AIRCRAFT FLEW INTO MOUNTAIN SLOPE WHILE TURNING TO FINAL APPROACH FOR SLURRY DROP .....................................................................................................................................................................................
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