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Aviation Forum / General / Homebuilt / January 2007Gone West...
'Spin Doctor' Bill Kershner dies at 77 Pilot, flight instructor, and aviation author William K. Kershner, 77, died January 8 in Sewanee, Tennessee, after a prolonged battle with cancer. He soloed an Aeronca Defender from Clarksville, Tennessee's Outlaw Field - a grass strip at the time - in 1945 at age 16. After four years flying Corsairs in the Navy, Kershner worked as a corporate pilot, flight-test pilot, and special assistant to William T. Piper Sr., then president of Piper Aircraft. With the help of his wife, Betty - who typed his handwritten manuscripts - Kershner authored and illustrated a series of five highly regarded flight manuals; his Student Pilot's Flight Manual alone has sold more than 1 million copies. Kershner contributed often to AOPA publications, including AOPA Pilot and AOPA Flight Training. More than 8,000 spins... Indeed sad news for me personally. I have been a fan of Bill's for many years and have always used and recommended his books throughout my tenure in aviation as an instructor. Bill was a fine man, and contributed much to the safety and education of the pilots who came up in my era. Thank you for posting this news on the group. I'm sure there are many here who share my feelings about Bill and will be grateful to you for taking the time to note the passing of one of aviation's true pioneers. Dudley Henriques (A Bill Kershner Trained Flight Instructor) > 'Spin Doctor' Bill Kershner dies at 77 > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > Kershner contributed often to AOPA publications, including AOPA Pilot and > AOPA Flight Training. More than 8,000 spins... I own at least one copy of each of Bill's books. Bill brought a very useful and valuable point of view and methodology to instructing. Many students "need" numbers, their minds require the numerics and physics behind the maneuver before they understand and accept the maneuver. Bill provided this. I for one am and forever will be indebted to him for this alone. Jim >I own at least one copy of each of Bill's books. Bill brought a very >useful [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > this. I for one am and forever will be indebted to him for this alone. > Jim I agree. Bill's books made it possible for instructors to couple technical information with creative teaching to present that information on levels all students could understand. His input to aviation will long be remembered by those of us who benefited from his contribution. Dudley Henriques >>I own at least one copy of each of Bill's books. Bill brought a very >>useful [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > from his contribution. > Dudley Henriques The good thing is that I recall reading an article recently about a woman who was teaching along-side Bill and it sounded like she might keep things going where he left off. I can't now remember where I read this, but it seems like she was a college professor or some such, but was teaching flying on the side. It sure would be nice for someone to carry on what he started. Matt She probably teaches at Iowa State. Dudley Henriques >>>I own at least one copy of each of Bill's books. Bill brought a very >>>useful [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > Matt > She probably teaches at Iowa State. http://www.aopa.org/members/files/pilot/2006/spin0608.html Nope, University of the South, Sewanee. Matt Go Gators!!! :-)) D >> She probably teaches at Iowa State. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Matt She's Catherine Cavagnaro, chairman of the math department at the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee (the university owns the airport and the rest of the town). Kershner's only affiliation with University of Iowa was that their press published his books until recently. My wife and I took ground school from him early October and flew with Catherine. It was a terrific experience. Kershner had stopped in-air instruction a few months earlier and was ill, but he did a fine job with the classroom instruction. It was a great pleasure working with him and getting to know him a little. Catherine takes the flying and instructing very seriously and I'm sure that she will indeed take the torch from her mentor and carry it forward. David > She probably teaches at Iowa State. > Dudley Henriques [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] >> >> Matt That's good to know. Having the chair of the Math Dept. at her level means a dedicated personality :-) It's good someone will be carrying on the fine work Bill has done. Dudley Henriques > She's Catherine Cavagnaro, chairman of the math department at the > University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee (the university owns the [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] >>> >>> Matt > >I own at least one copy of each of Bill's books. Bill brought a very > >useful [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > from his contribution. > Dudley Henriques This is sad news. In a way, he was already mised as his writing in AOPA Pilot had become far less prolific, but I had no idea of the reason. I will always remember some of the hilarious stories he told in his magazine articles, and his books will continue to be invaluable learnend and training tools. Peter His books combined much information and a sense of humor. It's been decades, but I still remember "Henry Schmotz" and "Oswald Zilch" and their screw-ups! > I own at least one copy of each of Bill's books. Bill brought a very useful > and valuable point of view and methodology to instructing. Many students > "need" numbers, their minds require the numerics and physics behind the > maneuver before they understand and accept the maneuver. Bill provided > this. I for one am and forever will be indebted to him for this alone. > Jim The last time I saw Bill's Aerobat, it was at my home field for annual. I understand it is going to the Smithsonian. > 'Spin Doctor' Bill Kershner dies at 77 > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > Kershner contributed often to AOPA publications, including AOPA Pilot and > AOPA Flight Training. More than 8,000 spins... > The last time I saw Bill's Aerobat, it was at my home field for annual. I > understand it is going to the Smithsonian. I hope so. I kidded him once about him being the only pilot alive who could make that airplane look good doing a maneuver :-)) Dudley Henriques I made the mistake of asking Catherine if she had had the chance to fly a more real aerobatic plane than the 152. She looked at my with indignation: "Are you casting aspersions on my Wilbur?" (Kershner's was Orville) >> The last time I saw Bill's Aerobat, it was at my home field for annual. I >> understand it is going to the Smithsonian. > > I hope so. I kidded him once about him being the only pilot alive who could > make that airplane look good doing a maneuver :-)) > Dudley Henriques The Bat is a wonderful ego equalizer for folks climbing out of a Pitts or something with the performance of a Pitts. It's like flying a whale!! :-)) Dudley Henriques >I made the mistake of asking Catherine if she had had the chance to fly a >more real aerobatic plane than the 152. She looked at my with indignation: [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >> could make that airplane look good doing a maneuver :-)) >> Dudley Henriques aerobatics in a cessna or citabria-type ship are much more elegant. ain't no snappin a 30-foot wingspan on a little light craft like that. dan > I made the mistake of asking Catherine if she had had the chance to fly > a more real aerobatic plane than the 152. She looked at my with [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > make that airplane look good doing a maneuver :-)) > > Dudley Henriques > aerobatics in a cessna or citabria-type ship are much more elegant. > ain't no snappin a 30-foot wingspan on a little light craft like that. > > dan Actually, snaps are very good in both the Citabria and the Aerobat and represent their "best" capability in the acro environment. It's the roll rate that's the "problem" with these two airplanes. The drag in roll is so great you need a disproportionate amount of vertical space to execute anything in roll that even comes close to looking good. But if you learn to use the airplanes correctly in that environment, you can at least make it look "passable" :-) Dudley Henriques >>aerobatics in a cessna or citabria-type ship are much more elegant. >>ain't no snappin a 30-foot wingspan on a little light craft like that. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > look "passable" :-) > Dudley Henriques Bob Hoover made a Shrike look pretty good ... at least to my eye! :-) Matt >>>aerobatics in a cessna or citabria-type ship are much more elegant. >>>ain't no snappin a 30-foot wingspan on a little light craft like that. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Matt You're right. Bob's speciality is "smooth" acro. In all the many years I've watched and known him, I"ve never seen anyone quite as smooth with an airplane as he has been. Dudley Henriques >>>>aerobatics in a cessna or citabria-type ship are much more elegant. >>>>ain't no snappin a 30-foot wingspan on a little light craft like that. [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > airplane as he has been. > Dudley Henriques I've only seen him twice "in person", but he sure made it look easy. I'd kill for half of his skill. Matt >>>>>aerobatics in a cessna or citabria-type ship are much more elegant. >>>>>ain't no snappin a 30-foot wingspan on a little light craft like that. [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > Matt He is good; no doubt about it. Not only that, but he's consistently good, and in the demonstration business, consistency is what keeps you alive. It's easy to be good on any given day, but to remain good for the years Bob has been flying professionally, is the true mark of his ability. Dudley Henriques >>>>aerobatics in a cessna or citabria-type ship are much more elegant. >>>>ain't no snappin a 30-foot wingspan on a little light craft like that. [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > airplane as he has been. > Dudley Henriques Julie Clark prides herself on smoothness, too. > Julie Clark prides herself on smoothness, too. Can she pour a glass of water while doing a roll? Matt >> Julie Clark prides herself on smoothness, too. > > Can she pour a glass of water while doing a roll? > > Matt Probably. But Bob Hoover can even do that backhanded! > John R. Copeland wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Matt Probably. But Bob Hoover can even do that backhanded! Not taking anything away from Bob, who is one of the finest pilots in the world, but that iced tea on the glareshield is really no big deal for any trained aerobatic pilot. There are two distinct factors involved in doing a barrel roll correctly and keeping it centered all the way around. The easiest is keeping positive g on the airplane through the roll which isn't all that hard. The REAL hard part, and what will get you a lap full of iced tea every time, is misuse of the rudder during the roll that enters even a smidgen of either positive or negative yaw into the roll equation. If your rudder work isn't PERFECTLY coordinated for the amount of aileron and elevator you are using in the roll, that glass will SLIDE sideways and end up right in your lap. Again, any good acro pilot can keep it centered. Bob is a great showman as well as being a great pilot. I've never known him to pass up an opportunity at being a good showman. The iced tea on the panel is just one small thing that demonstrates Bob's tremendous ability to combine skill with showmanship. Dudley Henriques Jim, sad news. I've read his student manual so many times... It seems he lived a full life, though - and he'll be remembered.  SignatureThomas Borchert (EDDH) I was privileged to talk to Bill on the phone several times. When he was contemplating moving his books to ASA, he called to ask for my take on the folks at ASA. Wouldn't leave Tennessee, though...everything had to be done through the mail. He sent me a full set of his books and I did the same for him. He was a softspoken true gentleman, and he will be missed. Bob Gardner > 'Spin Doctor' Bill Kershner dies at 77 > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > Kershner contributed often to AOPA publications, including AOPA Pilot and > AOPA Flight Training. More than 8,000 spins... |
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