RIP Pete Vinton... HOBBS 640.0 hrs

Today I got the sad news my friend, Pete Vinton, died yesterday while presumably at the controls during a Carbon Cub demo flight. I cant say I knew Pete well, but I knew him well enough to call him a friend, and it goes without saying that today I have a heavy heart.

Its kind of eerie the timing of this unfortunate accident, Pete just called me out of the blue about a week and a half ago, wanting to catch up since we hadn't talked in awhile. He was bragging (more like rubbing it in!) about all the flying he was going to be doing in the next week...flying for United on a trip to the far east and then ferrying a Cub from Yakima. We both laughed and joked..."life really sucks huh?!!" In the roughly 3 yrs I have known Pete he had never called, on a whim, just to say hello--that was a nice gesture. I will always be glad he did, so we could have one last conversation about what we were both passionate about...flying airplanes.


Photo of Pete with Jessica Ambats, (photo courtesy of Jessica Ambats) 

When I met Pete, we both hit it off instantly. He was a good ol' boy...a redneck if you will, and I mean that in the best sense of the word. With my rodeo background and also growing up a redneck, we had an easy repore between us that's hard to explain. He did have a large University of Nebraska flag in one of the hangars, and since they were our hated rivals at the University of Colorado, I wasn't too fond of that...but we got past that with some good natured back and forth ribbing while tossing back a couple of cold beers. :)

Pete had an impressive aviation resume, he was a 10 yr Navy pilot flying off carriers during the first Gulf War. He was currently still flying triple-7's for United and was a check pilot for them as well if I remember right? He was also a regional sales rep and factory demo pilot for CubCrafter's in Yakima, WA. So he had plenty of hours in the Cub as well. To say he was a well qualified and experienced pilot would be an understatement, so this news certainly is a shock.

In the 777 simulator with Jessica Ambats, (photo courtesy of Jessica Ambats)

To borrow a quote from Top Gun, "if you fly airplanes (jets) long enough, something like this will happen. When the first one dies, you die too." Well, this is the first time a friend of mine has died as a result of aviation and I'll admit it hit me rather hard. Unfortunately, I'll be lucky if its my last. Most old pilots have more than one tragic story to recount of aviators "gone west" much too soon.

When I first started flying, I was cocky enough to think I will never die in an airplane because I will be too good of a pilot. I will put in the extra hard work to hone my stick and rudder skills and make good decisions to ensure nothing bad could ever happen to me in an airplane. I've changed that tune as my flying career has matured. I now know good pilots die, this isn't the first time I have seen it happen from afar...experienced and qualified pilots die. Make no mistake about it, its not always the idiot that 'augers in' as some pilots like to believe. I would be crazy--in absolute denial to think, as would any pilot, that it couldn't possibly happen to me. I have come to terms with the fact I may someday die in an airplane.

Mind you, I certainly dont want to perish at the controls of an airplane, and have no death wish. I still plan to do everything in my power to make sure (and I have specific plans regarding this topic of discussion that I will discuss in later posts) that doesn't happen...but I know, even with that, it still could. I always have to be vigilant. I hope to never lose my "healthy fear" of flying to ensure it keeps me on my toes, complacency has no place in the cockpit.

To the non-pilot, the first question when hearing something like that is..."then why in the world would you continue to do it if it could kill you? Why are you willing to put your life on the line just to fly?" Thats not a simple answer and each pilot might answer it slightly different, but the common theme would be a passion for flight. Pete certainly had this passion, as do I and almost every pilot I know.

I don't consider flying, in of itself, dangerous. Its just very unforgiving of the wrong mistake at the wrong time and I'm ok with that. I like to be held to that high standard when I fly. Second, I would rather live passionately for 43 yrs than in absence of it for 86. Safe and comfortable, on my soft couch, is not for me and it wasnt for Pete. The pure joy and passion I get out of flying is worth the risk to me, and maybe the inherent risk involved is exactly why I feel so alive when I fly?

Pete, and pilots like him, have seen and experienced things in an airplane that most people could only dream about. I will miss him, but I certainly dont pity him, he lived a great aviation life and it goes without saying he died doing something he truly loved. There are worse things.

Bottom line, as one of my flight instructors cautioned me when I was learning to fly. Flying is a lot of fun and as pilots we certainly love to experience the joy of flight. But never forget, fun or not, and certainly never lose sight of the fact its serious business...treat it as such. Fly safe my friends....

One of my favorite quotes...in honor of Pete and the life he lived...a fitting tribute,

      "The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time." ~Jack London

The only picture I could find of Pete in my archives. This was at the Rocky Mountain Airpark open house last year. Pete was on the radio directing the air traffic. It was a great day of aviation!

Copyright Jessica Ambats

A final toast to my friend, thanks for the conversation....I shall miss it.