George Hewitt
Ex-Air Canada pilot, his wife killed in Reno air show crash
September 18, 2011
RENO, NEV. — A former Air Canada pilot and his wife were among nine people killed in Nevada after a 1940s-era plane crashed during an air show.
George Hewitt, 60, and his wife Wendy, 57, were sitting with a group of vintage military plane owners when a P-51 Mustang crashed near a grandstand at the Reno air show Friday, killing them instantly.
The couple reportedly had moved recently from Washington to Fort Mohave, Ariz., after George Hewitt retired.
He was born in Winnipeg and flew as a pilot with Air Canada for about 40 years.
The Seattle Times reported George Hewitt owned a small post-Second World War plane originally built by the same company that made the P-51 Mustang.
Dave Desmon, an executive officer with Cascade Warbirds — a non-profit group whose members own and fly a wide range of ex-military aircraft — told KIRO-TV he was talking to the Hewitts moments before the plane narrowly missed the packed grandstand and nose-dived into a section of VIP box seats.
“It rolled to the right, back over the top of the crowd, then right down towards us,” said Desmon.
“I was pretty much looking at the spinner of an airplane coming at me at 800 kilometres per hour and trying to decide which way it was moving so we could move the opposite direction.”
The Hewitts lived in Washington state before moving to Fort Mohave, Ariz., more than a year ago when Hewitt retired as a Boeing 777 captain with Air Canada, the Seattle Times reported.
His brother said he remained an enthusiastic pilot upon retirement. He and his wife lived in a “fly-in” community, where residents had airplane hangars near their homes, Wayne Hewitt told the Times.
The Hewitts reportedly had four children, all living in British Columbia.
Romi Singh grew up with George Hewitt in Winnipeg and flew with him for Air Canada. He told the Times the two of them hung around flying clubs and learned to fly in the same area.
Singh recalled how Hewitt volunteered to help when Singh co-ordinated a round-the world flight by two young men to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society.
“He was very well liked,” said Singh, president of Aviation Research Corp. who learned of the news while travelling in London. “This is tragic.”
Posted:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/arti ... show-crash
George Hewitt Ex-Air Canada pilot, his wife killed in Reno
This forum has been created as an area to share memories of friends, who have passed on, that had a love for flight.
Moderators: sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, North Shore
Post Reply
1 post
• Page 1 of 1
Jump to
- TOP AVIATION FORUMS
- ↳ General Comments
- ↳ Accidents, Incidents & Overdue Aircraft
- ↳ Covid
- ↳ Flight Training
- ↳ Bush Flying & Specialty Air Service
- ↳ Maintenance
- ↳ ATS Question Forum
- ↳ NavCanada Hiring
- ↳ Forum de discussion sur l'aviation en Français
- ↳ Aviation Videos & Photos
- ↳ Corporate
- ↳ Helicopter Forum
- Employment
- ↳ Aviation Job Ads (Free)
- ↳ Hire me
- ↳ Employment Forum
- ↳ Salary
- Classifieds
- ↳ Marketplace
- ↳ Aircraft for Sale
- ↳ Crash Pads
- Airlines
- ↳ General Airline Industry Comments
- ↳ LARGE AIRLINE OPERATIONS - CAR 705
- ↳ Air Canada
- ↳ Air Transat
- ↳ Flair Airlines
- ↳ Jazz Aviation LP - Air Canada Express
- ↳ Porter Airlines
- ↳ Sunwing
- ↳ WestJet
- ↳ WestJet Encore
- ↳ Additional CAR 705
- ↳ Air Canada Rouge
- ↳ Air Creebec Inc.
- ↳ Air Inuit
- ↳ Air North
- ↳ Air Tindi Ltd.
- ↳ Buffalo Airways Ltd.
- ↳ Calm Air
- ↳ Canadian North
- ↳ Cargojet
- ↳ Central Mountain Air Ltd.
- ↳ Chrono Jet Inc.
- ↳ Enerjet
- ↳ Kelowna Flightcraft Air Charter Ltd.
- ↳ Kenn Borek Air Ltd.
- ↳ Morningstar Air Express Inc.
- ↳ Nolinor
- ↳ North Cariboo Air
- ↳ North Star Air Ltd.
- ↳ Pacific Coastal Airlines Limited / Westjet Link
- ↳ PAL Airlines
- ↳ Perimeter Aviation / Bearskin Airlines
- ↳ PIVOT Airlines
- ↳ Summit Air
- ↳ Sunwest Aviation Ltd.
- ↳ Swoop
- ↳ Trans Capital Air Ltd.
- ↳ Transwest Air
- ↳ Voyageur Airways
- ↳ Wasaya Airways
- ↳ West Wind Aviation
- Announcements & Help
- ↳ Forum Suggestion and Announcements
- ↳ Internet and Computer Help
- PRIVATE FORUMS
- ↳ Ladies' Night
- ↳ Mentors
- ↳ AvCanada's Mentor Program
- ↳ I have a great deal of aviation experience in:
- ↳ Hicks & Lawrence Limited
- ↳ Hope Air
- ↳ Air Inuit
- ↳ Kivalliq Air/Keewatin Air
- ↳ NACair
- ↳ Prince Edward Air
- ↳ Best of AvCanada (Voting Forum)
- ↳ Buttonville flying club
- ↳ Canadian North
- ↳ PAL
- ↳ Peninsulair
- ↳ SkyRegional
- ↳ Jazz Private Forum
- ↳ Private Forum Info
- ↳ KENN BOREK AIR LTD.
- ↳ Investing Rumors
- Other Forums
- ↳ Aerobatics & Airshows
- ↳ Pictures from the airshow circuit
- ↳ Aviation Software & Devices
- ↳ AvCanada's Wall
- ↳ Around the Camp Fire
- ↳ Drones & UAS
- ↳ Health & Fitness
- ↳ Homebuilders