Jimmy Leeward
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged into 2011 Reno Air Races crash. (Discuss) Proposed since September 2011. |
Jimmy Leeward | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | James Kent Leeward October 21, 1936 |
| Died | September 16, 2011 (aged 74) |
| Occupation(s) | Real estate developer aviator actor racer |
| Years active | 1964–2011 |
| Organization | EAA member |
| Children | 2 |
James Kent "Jimmy" Leeward (October 21, 1936[1] – September 16, 2011) was a well-known[2] American air racer, owner of the Leeward Air Ranch in Ocala, Florida, and the pilot of the heavily modified North American P-51 Mustang racing aircraft, The Galloping Ghost.[3]
He competed in air races in the United States from the 1970s until his death. In the 1970s he became a board member of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA).[4]
Apart from being an experienced air racer, Jimmy Leeward also had several film credits[5] as a stunt pilot, actor, crew and himself.
Life
In 1982, Leeward began creating plans to build what would be the community of Leeward Air Ranch. He finished developing the community in 1983 and the worked as the developed the Ocala Business Center, using a runway in the Leeway Air Ranch for air services.[6][7]
Leeward began to drive in car races in the mid-1980s, driving at the Sunbank 24 Hour in 1986 at Daytona International Speedway[8] and injuring himself during qualifying in the Grand Prix of Miami of the same year[9]
Death
Leeward died on September 16, 2011, when his aircraft went off course and crashed into the crowd at the National Championship Air Races at Reno Stead Airport, northwest of Reno, Nevada, killing at least nine and injuring 58 spectators. Early eyewitness news accounts, as reported on CNN, said that it appeared Leeward knew he was going to crash and tried to avoid the grandstands.[10]
Filmography
Films
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Cloud Dancer | Mustang Pilot | |
| 1983 | Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 | Stunt Pilot | Uncredited |
| 1995 | The Tuskegee Airmen | Stunt Pilot | Credited as James K. Leeward |
| 2002 | Dragonfly | Stunt Pilot | Uncredited |
| 2006 | Loney Hearts | Pilot | |
| 2008 | Thunder Over Reno | Himself | |
| 2009 | Amelia | Stunt Pilot | Uncredited |
See also
References
- ^ Florida Public Records
- ^ Veteran airman Jimmy Leeward among dead in Reno
- ^ Speed and flying were Leeward's lifelong passions, Ocala Star-Banner, September 16, 2011
- ^ Sport Aviation, May 2011
- ^ "Jimmy Leeward - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
- ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ycFPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0AYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4808,3170886&dq=leeward+air+ranch&hl=en Ocala Star-Banner - October 21, 1988
- ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Y9YTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7wUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5084,4545966&dq=leeward+air+ranch&hl=en Ocala Star-Banner - May 27, 1983
- ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ycFPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0AYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4808,3170886&dq=leeward+air+ranch&hl=en Ocala Star-Banner - February 2, 1986
- ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AXNYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Qj0NAAAAIBAJ&pg=4504,830611&dq=jimmy+leeward&hl=en The Miami News - March 3, 1986
- ^ http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/09/17/nevada.plane.crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
External links
- Jimmy Leeward at Find a Grave
- leewardairranch.com — Leeward Air Ranch
