Originally Posted by
JamesNoBrakes
I've never understood "wing walking". People don't get out of race-cars and walk all on top of them to show off, nor do they get out of trains and walk all forwards and backwards doing stunts (except in movies). It just seems dangerous to the point of stupid, as you won't have enough time to pull your chute at those altitudes and the consequences are just way too high IMO. This coming from someone that participates in quite a few "extreme" sports, but I tend to judge risk pretty well.
Just a bit insensitive calling the recently deceased "stupid", don't you think?
I have personally known two wing walkers who had long and successful careers and they were very smart and careful people. And I know people who think that anything involving aviation, underwater sports, equestrian sports, alcohol consumption, and motorcycles is "dangerous". We all do some or all of these things and accept the risks. People die every day doing a wide variety of things that others deem as unnecessarily risky. Thank goodness we live in a time and place where it is possible to do these things because these activities are how we express our freedom. It is how we fulfill our pursuit of happiness.
Clearly Jane Wicker evaluated and accepted risks involved with wing walking and found the equation acceptable. Tragically, something went horribly wrong and she and Charlie Schwenker died doing what they loved.
It is a very sad day and a day of mourning as we have lost two wonderful members of our aviation community.
It would be appropriate and respectful to offer condolences and a decent period of restraint from speculation while our friends are mourned and laid to rest.
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