David is my cousin...I can't help but be thankful that he died doing what he truly, dearly, deeply loved doing - flying a warplane that was as close to being a bird as anyone could ever be. Flying free now, with his dad, cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. Peace and Love.
I'm sorry for your loss, your cousin sounded like a very nice person... I wish he had been flying either a replica of a warbird or a replica of the Northrop N-9M. As the aircraft he was flying was only intended for testing as a scale model for a larger four-engine aircraft, and it was only intended for test pilots to operate it. So your cousin's skill as a pilot was in the 99 percentile as the N-9M was a very challenging aircraft to control... Fortunately, all the evidence of the mechanical failure that caused your cousin to lose control was destroyed on impact. Otherwise, someone he knew would feel guilty for the rest of their life, for missing some little flaw during the restoration, servicing, inspection, or preflight... If there is any good to come from your loss, it would be retiring the WWII era high-performance aircraft to museums, with replicas of them being used for airshows. This is already the case for WWI era warbirds, as the flying examples are either replicas or aircraft which had almost all of the parts replaced so they are essentially replicas... Once again, I wish he was still around to give people a good airshow when we finally return to normalcy...
@@Appolloscott G'day, OK..., ya got me - I'll bite ; so..., what the hell have "Geese" that are "dead already" got to do with anything in this Video, let alone in this Comment Thread ? Did this bloke crash as the result of a Birdstrike ? How does an already dead Goose..., then fly into a Piston-Engined Aeroplane's Flightpath, so to cause a Birdstrike ? You make no sense. The other people were discussing what a stupid thing it is to say, after any sudden Death, anything to the effect that the deceased, "....died while doing what they most loved to do...!" Which is indeed often said, about the freshly dead..., the Aeroplanists, Ballonists, Parachutists, Motorcyclists, Car-Drivers, Skin-Divers, Rock-Climbers, Base-Jumpers, Hang Gliders, Soldiers Sailors, Surfers, and all manner of otherwise "perfectly normal" socially-acceptable Danger-Addicts....; who accustom themselves to ALMOST DYING..., for the very fun of it..., and finally and eventually they manage to die in the process. Doing what they loved doing most..., so some like to say ; of the Dead Danger Junkies... However, have you ever tried saying that when burying someone after they died from an Accidental Drug Overdose ? People who go out and almost die - for the fun of it..., are ALL Danger-Junkies who flirt with the Compost heap ; for the thrill of trying to become NOT the Kill, only almost dying and then sighing - with relief. But..., Dead Junkies are Dead Junkies, and those who overdose on Pharmaceuticals (instead of complicated Technology or entering dangerous Environments) are generally self-medicating... (the "Survivors" of Childhood Sexual Abuse go on to demonstrate 18 times the Suicide Deathrate of the background Population..., as well as 48 times the Deathrate from Accidental Drug Overdoses - and their deaths tend to cluster around 18 years after the abusive incident... according to Melbourne University's School of Medicine, published in the AMA Journal Feb. 2010) ; but as far as I know, nobody's yet done any Research to pin down the Reasons which motivate and/or drive other types of Danger Junkies to get off on deliberately doing risky stuff, for the fun of not quite killing themselves... But, in conclusion, when a Danger Junkie or a Heroin Junkie miscalculates..., and when their dangerous Habit finally eventually kills them ; then it's really Really SHALLOW to mouthe empty bloody plattitudes about how much they must've been enjoying it. I'm a Pilot, and I've crashed but survivably (I still limp and carry a Stick...), and I've attended the Crashes of other Pilots too, I performed a Runway Rescusitation on one bloke, and I once identified a crashed friend when he was in a Bodybag at the local Morgue...; and if you want to learn something then you might like to search out the Compilation which someone put together of the Last Radio Calls of a collection of crashing Pilots..., immediately before impact - and they all transmitted the SAME thing, in their "Milk Language", they all say, "Ahhh, SHIT...!" " Ahhh, MERDE... !" " Ach, SCHEISSE...!" They-all probably quite enjoyed the takeoff..., but by the time their Lights went out - they HATED what they were doing ; at the time, in Real Life. Go out and break an Aeroplane while you're sitting in it, to fact-check me ; before trying to tell me how wrong you wish me to be. Such is life, Have a good one... Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !
I had the pleasure of flying right seat with him on multiple trips with American Eagle Airlines out of LAX. As an inexperienced, junior FO on reserve, he was very encouraging and informative. He was passionate and instilled confidence. I was always very glad to see his name on my schedule. Tailwinds David...
Every time I see these videos I think of my dad not a war bird pilot but a private pilot ,gone but certainly not forgotten ,HIS plane was a Luscomb a 1946 model watched him bring it home in Parts and re build it ,that is the plane I learned to fly,and start it,( prop it),I was fifteen 🤗rest in peace DAD
“We do not "get over" a death. We learn to carry the grief and integrate the loss in our lives. In our hearts, we carry those who have died. We grieve and we love. We remember.” ― Nathalie Himmelrich Even if we didn’t know David personally we share the bond of the love of flying and the admiration for those who envisioned, designed and built these aircraft. We remember you David.
you all prolly dont give a damn but does any of you know of a tool to log back into an instagram account?? I was dumb forgot the login password. I would love any assistance you can offer me!
@Phillip Gage i really appreciate your reply. I found the site through google and Im in the hacking process atm. Takes a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
Even though I'm from the UK and had never seen the N9M in person, I was very sad to hear of the crash and particularly of the loss of Mr. Vopat. This is a great tribute to him, it's very good of PoF to put this video out to mark a year since his passing. RIP David Vopat and best wishes to everyone at PoF.
Had the honor meeting David a few years back when I was ferrying a P-47 and he helped me with a few things. Man this is a huge blow because this video was the way how I found out he had passed. I had no idea the wing crashed as I have been out of CONUS working on a Spitfire in England. Wow RIP Dave
I live just south of the Chino airport and watched the wing fly right over my place that morning. Later that day when I heard of the crash I drove straight to the museum and left flowers at the door.
Lovely dedication. Met him several times in the past when I used to volunteer at POF many years ago. I'm a WW2 aircraft junkie. Never met a nicer guy. RIP David.
This hits hard. Was blessed to know Mr. Vopat and his passion for Aviation and warbirds was so genuine and exciting to be around. He was a great mentor to many young people who were interested in volunteering and always was a straight shooter, and great pilot. He is sorely missed, as his exploits took him far and wide amongst vintage aircraft owners, museums, and foundations, i.e. Collings Foundation, and Hangar 180. Rest in peace sir. Thanks to Planes of Fame for this tribute.
David definitely loved flying. I know him from the antique airplane world. He was a gentleman & is missed by all who knew him & many who never got that pleasure. Thank you for this tribute.
I worked for Chino Vlley Unified School District and was out on a construction project when "The Wing" flew nearby. Shook me for a second. Nice that they remember his contribution. Men like David will be missed.
I guess I must have been living under a rock as I was completely unaware of this tragic crash and the loss of Mr. Vopat. After seeing this and reading up on everything about it, the eye witnesses were saying the aircraft was doing a "barrel roll". As a retired Part 121 A&P and former USAF Crew Chief, I have been around many many pilots. I also used to volunteer at many airshows and got to interact with those pilots. Without ever having known him, I can say with utmost confidence that this pilot would have NEVER done that intentionally. Even though the final report hasn't come out, I would bet something happened either mechanically or some other condition that rendered the aircraft uncontrolable. My sincerest condolences to David's family and the Planes of Fame Museum. RIP David. You're flying with the Angles now.
Yes, just read the accident report about the supposed "barrel roll" also, would have never been intentional. The N9M was a successful design that had been intended for flying wing pilot training and concept viability leading to the X and Y B-35 prototypes. It had been flown by many pilots and had become a solid example of the type to work from. I developed a radio controlled scale version of it some 30 years ago which didn't quite make it to fruition, still have the wing cores. I maintained interest in the "wings" of Northrop as I had a classmate in school whose father was the flight engineer on the B-35 examples - Orva H. Douglas.
One engine cut in & out repeatedly and Mr. David Vopat was unable to regain control. However, the Northrop N-9M was never meant to be used past its days as a proof on concept for a larger four-engined flying wing...
@@davidhollenshead4892 That is not what happened that wing has lost an engine before and never has it cased the platform to roll. I know details about the fatal crash and will not post those details here out of respect for Northrop and Mr. Vopat.
I meet him last airshow he was in..great pilot..very polite..and very interesting fellow..loved talking about the wing he flew..in great detail of flying it...wonderful man..I am blessed to have meet him...sweet soul....he was..!
While I did not know Mr. Vopat I mourn his loss. Such grand lights can never be replaced, only missed. I did have the distinct honor being able to witness the N9M flying it's public debut over Edwards afb. Hard to work a camera when crying for joy. Perhaps it too left doing what it loved, flying.
Remember seeing this historic aircraft fly over us in Escondido (north county San Diego). Such a great loss to aviation history, and more importantly, a huge loss of a great pilot and person.
thanks for this. what an extraordinary aircraft and David was the ideal pilot and keeper of the flame. Sorry they are gone. but a great tribute ! thank you !
I had the opportunity to talked to David when I visited the museum a long time ago. he was a real aviator! He was working in the airplane and took the time to talk to me he explained me about the N9MB, really sad when I hear about his lost. Now he is flying among the starts with many other aviators, Rest In Peace!
i did learn to flight at awesome North American AT6 a long time ago , didnt know David but the message of this tribute is so powerfull an touching that made me cry ,farewell David and flight high .
Just like when I became a helicopter pilot, my instructor said that now my name has a number and it can be called at ANY time. I said I'd rather die enjoying my passion, than grow old in some retirement home wasting life's precious moments.....
I knew Dave when we both were flying for American Eagle/Wings West Airlines out of LAX. We at LAX were a fairly small group of crew members so we all knew each other, almost like an extended family. While I can’t recall flying together, he’d approach me from time to time with questions in the crew lounge or swapping aircraft at out stations. He was a good guy, knowledgeable, a “good stick”, a good Joe.
He looks like a guy I remember at American Eagle (Simmons Airlines) back in the ‘90’s. If it’s the same guy, his wife flew there too. At any rate, if not, condolences to all who knew him.
Aviation is the most rewarding belief, unto which we humans can only shortly escape the bonds of earth, to touch the skies of this big marble. However, sadly, it comes sometimes at a great price. I've never met Mr. Vopat; or have we all. His smile and love of flight is of the best of of anyone whose dared to leave earth, and go aloft. A beautiful tribute to a good man
I will never forget during one of my training flights to become a Private Pilot we heard David on the radio in the N9MB passing over Burbank. Since we were out of Whiteman, we looked over and saw him flying by. Such a unique and beautiful airplane and so graceful in the sky. Blue Skies David!
My the good Lord always watch over David and his family and friends. Sincerely from the very deepest part of my heart, Kevin W. Shelton. ❤🇺🇸❤🇺🇸❤🇺🇸❤🇺🇸❤🇺🇸❤🇺🇸❤🇺🇸❤
As a kid, I had bought a book on the flying wings of Jack Northrup (n9m, xb-35 and yb-49 to name a few) and didn't know there was even a flying model left. This is a nice tribute video, but if I might make a suggestion (and not just about this video, but about many air show type films), drop background music for the flight portions so we can just hear the planes. Sorry about David, he was younger than I am :-(
So sad. I read that witnesses said he was clearly flying the plane to avoid structures, so this man is a hero! He flew the plane all the way through the crash, which is the right and brave thing to do. Rest in peace.
💕🙏💕What an awesome guy! Saw the accident report. But never seen the pilot till this vid showed up. My heart goes out. 😢 Respects to this man. He really loved that Plane! R.I.P Sir! 🌹
Such a tragic loss of such a wonderful man and a beautiful plane for POF and the aviation world. All of us at the Warhawk Air Museum were heartbroken when we heard the news. (Nice to see the Boise Bee flying with Mrs. Virginia at the 3:56 mark - two beautiful P51 models.) RIP.
My sincerest condolences. I remember when the bird was rediscovered (formerly in hiding 30+ years) at Northrup in '83 I believe it was, during a conversation with a few aerospace engineers. So sad :(
Heartbreaking to see and hear him talk about the unusual characteristics of the wing that ultimately caused his death, heartfelt and eternal respect to him and aviators like him who through years of passion and dedication were able to tame the wildest beasts and keep our aviation heritage alive and introduce new ge stations to the wondrous world of pioneering aeronautics RIP
This airplane was very advanced for the time. Everyone agreed that the plane was tricky to fly. God bless Mr. Vopat's family. He will be missed as a warbird pilot.
Bob Cardenas said in an interview when the B-2 rolled out,that the Northrop people had talked to him during the development of the B-2 as one of the only people if not The only man left alive who had flown a wing bomber. He said the first thing he told them was "don't stall the damn thing!" Apparently the two types he flew,the prop bomber and the jet bomber had a tendency to do a backflip then enter a flat spin either upright or inverted,Wich was almost unrecoverable. That's what got Glenn Edwards of Edwards Air Force Base, killed, a stall flip and spin into the ground. The Northrop people told him that the stall behavior was part of the flight control computers,and made the behavior pretty predictable. Hell of a generation of people weren't they!? His son and grandson both went on to be bomber pilots and I think his grandson was an aircraft commander on one of the B-2s,but that's been a while,he may have retired by now.
Did he stall it? As that is the last thing you do in one of those. As the B-2 will not let you. The YB-49 would. No computers to prevent you from making that mistake in them days...
@@MasterChief-sl9ro If I remember right,he was doing a high angle of attack down on the runway,and it pitched up real violently,and being the test pilot he was ,he tried it at about 35 thousand feet or so. I don't remember if it went completely over backwards on him or not,but he and his copilot were able to recover because they were expecting something along those lines. He seemed like a cool ass dude. I've watched several interviews and read stuff he's written. There was a definite reason why he was chosen to head certain aspects of Chuck Yeager's test program with the X-1 and then so many of his own programs. Take care stay healthy.
My one regret is never getting to meet Mr Vopat or to see the N9MB fly in person this is a lovely tribute to what I can assume to have been an awesome gentleman and an equally awesome aeroplane though if I may ask what music did you use in this video it's quite the lovely tune
so can a replica be built and flown according to FAA rules? is ther ANYTHING left of the original? are there very good drawings and plans? was a schematic made when it was restored?
When I was 6 years old we lived in Seattle near Boeing field one day I saw a fleet of b-17s fly over our house. I was fixated on the roaring sound and size of these machines. I was in Key West once when walking out of a store a b-17 flew overhead downtown at about 500 ft. It blew me away.
David is my cousin...I can't help but be thankful that he died doing what he truly, dearly, deeply loved doing - flying a warplane that was as close to being a bird as anyone could ever be. Flying free now, with his dad, cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. Peace and Love.
I'm sorry for your loss, your cousin sounded like a very nice person...
I wish he had been flying either a replica of a warbird or a replica of the Northrop N-9M. As the aircraft he was flying was only intended for testing as a scale model for a larger four-engine aircraft, and it was only intended for test pilots to operate it. So your cousin's skill as a pilot was in the 99 percentile as the N-9M was a very challenging aircraft to control...
Fortunately, all the evidence of the mechanical failure that caused your cousin to lose control was destroyed on impact. Otherwise, someone he knew would feel guilty for the rest of their life, for missing some little flaw during the restoration, servicing, inspection, or preflight...
If there is any good to come from your loss, it would be retiring the WWII era high-performance aircraft to museums, with replicas of them being used for airshows. This is already the case for WWI era warbirds, as the flying examples are either replicas or aircraft which had almost all of the parts replaced so they are essentially replicas...
Once again, I wish he was still around to give people a good airshow when we finally return to normalcy...
@Gaius Baltar What a fucking insensitive thing to say.
Have some respect for the dead already geese
@@Appolloscott
G'day,
OK..., ya got me - I'll bite ; so..., what the hell have "Geese" that are "dead already" got to do with anything in this Video, let alone in this Comment Thread ?
Did this bloke crash as the result of a Birdstrike ?
How does an already dead Goose..., then fly into a Piston-Engined Aeroplane's Flightpath, so to cause a Birdstrike ?
You make no sense.
The other people were discussing what a stupid thing it is to say, after any sudden Death, anything to the effect that the deceased,
"....died while doing what they most loved to do...!"
Which is indeed often said, about the freshly dead..., the Aeroplanists, Ballonists, Parachutists, Motorcyclists, Car-Drivers, Skin-Divers, Rock-Climbers, Base-Jumpers, Hang Gliders, Soldiers Sailors, Surfers, and all manner of otherwise "perfectly normal" socially-acceptable Danger-Addicts....; who accustom themselves to ALMOST DYING..., for the very fun of it..., and finally and eventually they manage to die in the process.
Doing what they loved doing most..., so some like to say ; of the Dead Danger Junkies...
However, have you ever tried saying that when burying someone after they died from an Accidental Drug Overdose ?
People who go out and almost die - for the fun of it..., are ALL Danger-Junkies who flirt with the Compost heap ; for the thrill of trying to become NOT the Kill, only almost dying and then sighing - with relief.
But..., Dead Junkies are Dead Junkies, and those who overdose on Pharmaceuticals (instead of complicated Technology or entering dangerous Environments) are generally self-medicating... (the "Survivors" of Childhood Sexual Abuse go on to demonstrate 18 times the Suicide Deathrate of the background Population..., as well as 48 times the Deathrate from Accidental Drug Overdoses - and their deaths tend to cluster around 18 years after the abusive incident... according to Melbourne University's School of Medicine, published in the AMA Journal Feb. 2010) ; but as far as I know, nobody's yet done any Research to pin down the Reasons which motivate and/or drive other types of Danger Junkies to get off on deliberately doing risky stuff, for the fun of not quite killing themselves...
But, in conclusion, when a Danger Junkie or a Heroin Junkie miscalculates..., and when their dangerous Habit finally eventually kills them ; then it's really Really SHALLOW to mouthe empty bloody plattitudes about how much they must've been enjoying it.
I'm a Pilot, and I've crashed but survivably (I still limp and carry a Stick...), and I've attended the Crashes of other Pilots too, I performed a Runway Rescusitation on one bloke, and I once identified a crashed friend when he was in a Bodybag at the local Morgue...; and if you want to learn something then you might like to search out the Compilation which someone put together of the Last Radio Calls of a collection of crashing Pilots..., immediately before impact - and they all transmitted the SAME thing, in their "Milk Language", they all say,
"Ahhh, SHIT...!"
" Ahhh, MERDE... !"
" Ach, SCHEISSE...!"
They-all probably quite enjoyed the takeoff..., but by the time their Lights went out - they HATED what they were doing ; at the time, in Real Life.
Go out and break an Aeroplane while you're sitting in it, to fact-check me ; before trying to tell me how wrong you wish me to be.
Such is life,
Have a good one...
Stay safe.
;-p
Ciao !
Laura, my deep condolations to your big loss. David took his precious plane with him to Heaven to fly there. It's so sad. Greetings from Denmark. 🇩🇰
I had the pleasure of flying right seat with him on multiple trips with American Eagle Airlines out of LAX. As an inexperienced, junior FO on reserve, he was very encouraging and informative. He was passionate and instilled confidence. I was always very glad to see his name on my schedule. Tailwinds David...
Every time I see these videos I think of my dad not a war bird pilot but a private pilot ,gone but certainly not forgotten ,HIS plane was a Luscomb a 1946 model watched him bring it home in Parts and re build it ,that is the plane I learned to fly,and start it,( prop it),I was fifteen 🤗rest in peace DAD
“We do not "get over" a death. We learn to carry the grief and integrate the loss in our lives. In our hearts, we carry those who have died. We grieve and we love. We remember.”
― Nathalie Himmelrich
Even if we didn’t know David personally we share the bond of the love of flying and the admiration for those who envisioned, designed and built these aircraft. We remember you David.
you all prolly dont give a damn but does any of you know of a tool to log back into an instagram account??
I was dumb forgot the login password. I would love any assistance you can offer me!
@Arlo Blaze instablaster =)
@Phillip Gage i really appreciate your reply. I found the site through google and Im in the hacking process atm.
Takes a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Phillip Gage It did the trick and I now got access to my account again. I'm so happy!
Thanks so much, you saved my ass !
@Arlo Blaze Happy to help xD
Such a great loss! Plane and pilot were legendary! They are missed already!😇
Never seen the plane or knew of this young man. In my 38yrs of aviation it pains me when we lose one.
Belated condolences....
Thanks, Planes Of Fame. Good to hear David’s voice again. I miss him and the Wing.
Same here, Adam.
Even though I'm from the UK and had never seen the N9M in person, I was very sad to hear of the crash and particularly of the loss of Mr. Vopat. This is a great tribute to him, it's very good of PoF to put this video out to mark a year since his passing.
RIP David Vopat and best wishes to everyone at PoF.
Had the honor meeting David a few years back when I was ferrying a P-47 and he helped me with a few things. Man this is a huge blow because this video was the way how I found out he had passed. I had no idea the wing crashed as I have been out of CONUS working on a Spitfire in England. Wow RIP Dave
I live just south of the Chino airport and watched the wing fly right over my place that morning. Later that day when I heard of the crash I drove straight to the museum and left flowers at the door.
We all miss David very much. May he Rest In Peace.
Lovely dedication.
Met him several times in the past when I used to volunteer at POF many years ago.
I'm a WW2 aircraft junkie.
Never met a nicer guy.
RIP David.
This hits hard. Was blessed to know Mr. Vopat and his passion for Aviation and warbirds was so genuine and exciting to be around. He was a great mentor to many young people who were interested in volunteering and always was a straight shooter, and great pilot. He is sorely missed, as his exploits took him far and wide amongst vintage aircraft owners, museums, and foundations, i.e. Collings Foundation, and Hangar 180. Rest in peace sir. Thanks to Planes of Fame for this tribute.
This past Friday 4/22/22 was the 3 year anniversary. Miss you David. Warbird community isn't the same without you
Very nicely done tribute. You can really feel his passion and love for aviation. Thanks for keeping his spirit alive.
I don’t have any words. I didn’t know him but I still get a lump in my throat when we loose a fellow aviator.
David definitely loved flying. I know him from the antique airplane world. He was a gentleman & is missed by all who knew him & many who never got that pleasure. Thank you for this tribute.
A beautiful tribute to the plane and David. Both will be remembered with fondness and a touch of sadness.
I worked for Chino Vlley Unified School District and was out on a construction project when "The Wing" flew nearby. Shook me for a second. Nice that they remember his contribution. Men like David will be missed.
I guess I must have been living under a rock as I was completely unaware of this tragic crash and the loss of Mr. Vopat. After seeing this and reading up on everything about it, the eye witnesses were saying the aircraft was doing a "barrel roll". As a retired Part 121 A&P and former USAF Crew Chief, I have been around many many pilots. I also used to volunteer at many airshows and got to interact with those pilots. Without ever having known him, I can say with utmost confidence that this pilot would have NEVER done that intentionally. Even though the final report hasn't come out, I would bet something happened either mechanically or some other condition that rendered the aircraft uncontrolable. My sincerest condolences to David's family and the Planes of Fame Museum. RIP David. You're flying with the Angles now.
Yes, just read the accident report about the supposed "barrel roll" also, would have never been intentional. The N9M was a successful design that had been intended for flying wing pilot training and concept viability leading to the X and Y B-35 prototypes. It had been flown by many pilots and had become a solid example of the type to work from. I developed a radio controlled scale version of it some 30 years ago which didn't quite make it to fruition, still have the wing cores. I maintained interest in the "wings" of Northrop as I had a classmate in school whose father was the flight engineer on the B-35 examples - Orva H. Douglas.
One engine cut in & out repeatedly and Mr. David Vopat was unable to regain control. However, the Northrop N-9M was never meant to be used past its days as a proof on concept for a larger four-engined flying wing...
@@davidhollenshead4892 That is not what happened that wing has lost an engine before and never has it cased the platform to roll. I know details about the fatal crash and will not post those details here out of respect for Northrop and Mr. Vopat.
@@Unique377 thank you.
So sad, he was a good man that was an asset to mankind. The world could use more just like him.
Blessings to David's family and the POF family...still unreal. Thank you for sharing. M : (...
Wonderful tribute. For my son and I it was always a highlight of the airshow to see the N9MB fly. Thanks POF for all you do to honor aviation history.
Very sad for this young aviator to pass on w/ so many flying years ahead of him. RIP.
I meet him last airshow he was in..great pilot..very polite..and very interesting fellow..loved talking about the wing he flew..in great detail of flying it...wonderful man..I am blessed to have meet him...sweet soul....he was..!
While I did not know Mr. Vopat I mourn his loss. Such grand lights can never be replaced, only missed.
I did have the distinct honor being able to witness the N9M flying it's public debut over Edwards afb. Hard to work a camera when crying for joy. Perhaps it too left doing what it loved, flying.
Thank you POF for this beautiful video, I can’t believe it has been a year, RIP David.
That brought me chills. What a wonderful video to celebrate his life and what he loved. Thank you.
Very sad. My condolences to David’s family and friends.
Remember seeing this historic aircraft fly over us in Escondido (north county San Diego). Such a great loss to aviation history, and more importantly, a huge loss of a great pilot and person.
thanks for this. what an extraordinary aircraft and David was the ideal pilot and keeper of the flame. Sorry they are gone. but a great tribute ! thank you !
Oh man!! I didn’t even hear about it and I live in California. What a tragic double loss.
I had the opportunity to talked to David when I visited the museum a long time ago. he was a real aviator! He was working in the airplane and took the time to talk to me he explained me about the N9MB, really sad when I hear about his lost. Now he is flying among the starts with many other aviators, Rest In Peace!
A superb tribute.
i did learn to flight at awesome North American AT6 a long time ago , didnt know David but the message of this tribute is so powerfull an touching that made me cry ,farewell David and flight high .
Rest in peace, Young Son... And thank you for so many smiles as you past by!!!
Fair Winds and clear skies. Very nicely done. And a big thank you to all the volunteers.
Just like when I became a helicopter pilot, my instructor said that now my name has a number and it can be called at ANY time. I said I'd rather die enjoying my passion, than grow old in some retirement home wasting life's precious moments.....
Thank you all for your love of America and the sacrifices you have made.
I was there in April of last year and talked with David quite awhile about the N9M . Great guy! Can see why he's thought of so fondly.
I knew Dave when we both were flying for American Eagle/Wings West Airlines out of LAX. We at LAX were a fairly small group of crew members so we all knew each other, almost like an extended family. While I can’t recall flying together, he’d approach me from time to time with questions in the crew lounge or swapping aircraft at out stations. He was a good guy, knowledgeable, a “good stick”, a good Joe.
I have only subscribed to POF today so had no idea of this tragic event. Blue skies David.
JUST CAME ACROSS THIS SO SAD.... GOD BLESS DAVID MATE
It’s such a shame that both David and this airplane are gone.
He looks like a guy I remember at American Eagle (Simmons Airlines) back in the ‘90’s. If it’s the same guy, his wife flew there too. At any rate, if not, condolences to all who knew him.
A commenter on here said he flew next to David as F.O. w/that airline so seems that was almost certainly him you saw
Man, tough to watch, much respect. 🙏
One of the coolest videos I've ever seen! He will be missed.
Aviation is the most rewarding belief, unto which we humans can only shortly escape the bonds of earth, to touch the skies of this big marble. However, sadly, it comes sometimes at a great price. I've never met Mr. Vopat; or have we all. His smile and love of flight is of the best of of anyone whose dared to leave earth, and go aloft. A beautiful tribute to a good man
I will never forget during one of my training flights to become a Private Pilot we heard David on the radio in the N9MB passing over Burbank. Since we were out of Whiteman, we looked over and saw him flying by. Such a unique and beautiful airplane and so graceful in the sky. Blue Skies David!
oh I'm sorry for the loss. praying for his family and am sure he is learning to fly from angels in forever skies
What a loss.
My the good Lord always watch over David and his family and friends.
Sincerely from the very deepest part of my heart, Kevin W. Shelton.
❤🇺🇸❤🇺🇸❤🇺🇸❤🇺🇸❤🇺🇸❤🇺🇸❤🇺🇸❤
As a kid, I had bought a book on the flying wings of Jack Northrup (n9m, xb-35 and yb-49 to name a few) and didn't know there was even a flying model left. This is a nice tribute video, but if I might make a suggestion (and not just about this video, but about many air show type films), drop background music for the flight portions so we can just hear the planes. Sorry about David, he was younger than I am :-(
Thank You Jack
This was heartbreaking to hear, especially here in Britain. Such a beautiful plane which I would have loved to have seen flying in the UK.
Miss that guy. Thank you for putting this out!
So sad. I read that witnesses said he was clearly flying the plane to avoid structures, so this man is a hero! He flew the plane all the way through the crash, which is the right and brave thing to do. Rest in peace.
My condoleances, thank you for your hard work.
This plane was amazing to see and hear it fly.. What a nice tribute.
💕🙏💕What an awesome guy! Saw the accident report. But never seen the pilot till this vid showed up. My heart goes out. 😢 Respects to this man. He really loved that Plane! R.I.P Sir! 🌹
Love flying wings. I live in an area of Missouri where we get B-2 Spirit bombers flying over once or twice a week and they always amaze me.
💛 when we spent our weekends at the air museum I remember the guys working on the wing & p-38.
I remember working on it in the 80's when someone said, hey, lets restore it and see what happens. It's a moment seared into my memory.
Ripper13F1V I’m Gary Lynch’s daughter we were there every weekend
Such a tragic loss of such a wonderful man and a beautiful plane for POF and the aviation world. All of us at the Warhawk Air Museum were heartbroken when we heard the news. (Nice to see the Boise Bee flying with Mrs. Virginia at the 3:56 mark - two beautiful P51 models.) RIP.
What an awesome pilot. Huge skill factor here. Cool and very likable fellow sadly missed.
My sincerest condolences. I remember when the bird was rediscovered (formerly in hiding 30+ years) at Northrup in '83 I believe it was, during a conversation with a few aerospace engineers. So sad :(
Blue skies & tailwinds Sir !! God speed 🙏🙏
MASSIVE RESPECT....
Heartbreaking to see and hear him talk about the unusual characteristics of the wing that ultimately caused his death, heartfelt and eternal respect to him and aviators like him who through years of passion and dedication were able to tame the wildest beasts and keep our aviation heritage alive and introduce new ge stations to the wondrous world of pioneering aeronautics RIP
Already a year has gone by. Very sad. Excellent video though! :-) :'(
That was a very nice tribute.
Nicely done!!!
Thank you for sharing.
This airplane was very advanced for the time. Everyone agreed that the plane was tricky to fly. God bless Mr. Vopat's family.
He will be missed as a warbird pilot.
I miss this museum dearly, I hope I can visit again soon.
That was a great tribute to the man.
Ahh man, as soon as I saw him I knew who he was. Rip.
Que Deus o tenha em bons braços.... Muito obrigado David pelo seu magnífico trabalho!!!!!!!
Just noticed his DOB, same as mine, but I'm 5 yrs older,(62' ) God bless him and his legacy.
Bob Cardenas said in an interview when the B-2 rolled out,that the Northrop people had talked to him during the development of the B-2 as one of the only people if not The only man left alive who had flown a wing bomber. He said the first thing he told them was "don't stall the damn thing!" Apparently the two types he flew,the prop bomber and the jet bomber had a tendency to do a backflip then enter a flat spin either upright or inverted,Wich was almost unrecoverable. That's what got Glenn Edwards of Edwards Air Force Base, killed, a stall flip and spin into the ground. The Northrop people told him that the stall behavior was part of the flight control computers,and made the behavior pretty predictable.
Hell of a generation of people weren't they!? His son and grandson both went on to be bomber pilots and I think his grandson was an aircraft commander on one of the B-2s,but that's been a while,he may have retired by now.
Did he stall it? As that is the last thing you do in one of those. As the B-2 will not let you. The YB-49 would. No computers to prevent you from making that mistake in them days...
@@MasterChief-sl9ro If I remember right,he was doing a high angle of attack down on the runway,and it pitched up real violently,and being the test pilot he was ,he tried it at about 35 thousand feet or so. I don't remember if it went completely over backwards on him or not,but he and his copilot were able to recover because they were expecting something along those lines. He seemed like a cool ass dude. I've watched several interviews and read stuff he's written.
There was a definite reason why he was chosen to head certain aspects of Chuck Yeager's test program with the X-1 and then so many of his own programs.
Take care stay healthy.
Prayers to the family with heart felt condolences rest in peace David Vopat
My one regret is never getting to meet Mr Vopat or to see the N9MB fly in person this is a lovely tribute to what I can assume to have been an awesome gentleman and an equally awesome aeroplane though if I may ask what music did you use in this video it's quite the lovely tune
Rip great video keep up the good work
RIP Sir, thoughts with your Family.. Fly Free!!!
Beautiful tribute!
Rest in peace David, God bless.
I miss you my dear friend.
The wings of this plane carried him to heaven
So sad, both for friends and family, as for the unique N9MB which he loved..
WAY TOO SOON ! R.I.P. Sir !😢
R.I.P. David..
Moving Tribute
God Bless
Hear that bell?
David just got his wings.
so can a replica be built and flown according to FAA rules? is ther ANYTHING left of the original? are there very good drawings and plans? was a schematic made when it was restored?
Hits closer when I realise he is only two days younger than me.
When I was 6 years old we lived in Seattle near Boeing field one day I saw a fleet of b-17s fly over our house. I was fixated on the roaring sound and size of these machines. I was in Key West once when walking out of a store a b-17 flew overhead downtown at about 500 ft. It blew me away.
I live near boeing field and I absolutely love seeing warbirds come over, boeing is the field I love flying out of. Great area for aviation.
RIP sir… love POF and what they do.
Being involved with the chino planes of fame and airshow I sure miss seeing this plane and it's pilot
I've seen the wing at the Udvar Hazy museum, didn't realize that there was more than 1.!
My Condolences 🙏