Contributions Will Go Into Scholarship Fund For Performer's Son

Aero-News has learned friends and colleagues of air show performer Jim LeRoy are encouraging air show fans, pilots and aviation enthusiasts to make a contribution of any size to the scholarship fund recently established to benefit Jim's four-year old son, Tommy.

As ANN reported, LeRoy was lost during a July 28 performance at the Vectren Dayton Air Show in Ohio, when his modified "Bulldog" Pitts biplane impacted the runway in a flat attitude at the bottom of a loop, during a performance of the two-ship "Code Name Mary's Lamb" routine. Leroy was the last surviving pilot of the "Masters of Disaster," an airshow act that combined three performers, two jet trucks and pyrotechnics.

International Council of Air Shows president John Cudahy says Air Show Hall of Famer Wayne Handley went through a similar tragedy in 1994... when his adult son Ryan was killed in an aviation accident. A college fund in the name of Handley's grandson was established.

Although most of the contributions were in the $50-$100 range, the fund received donations of more than $30,000. That fund has grown to more than $70,000 in the 13 years since the accident and will soon reach its goal of $90,000 before Brennen Handley starts college in a couple of years.

"Jim devoted his life to air shows and air show entertainment," Cudahy tells ANN. "It would be a wonderful tribute to all that he did to entertain air show audiences if the aviation community could return the favor with a contribution to this fund."

Air show fans and aviation enthusiasts are urged to send their contributions to: Jim LeRoy, Jr. Memorial Fund, c/o Harris Bank, 110 East Irving Park Road, Roselle, IL 60172, phone 630-980-2700.

FMI: www.icashq.org/