Kyle and Amanda Franklin Hurt In Airshow Crash

Re: Kyle and Amanda Franklin burned in crash at airshow

Man, I'm so sad !!! RIP It thought that they both survived. Well it's just so sad to see people you admire go.
 
Re: Kyle and Amanda Franklin burned in crash at airshow

Ajax BU said:
I'm going along with our chief instructor, and school owner.
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I am on a 4 day right now and Tues morning is the earliest I could leave... I could get into XNA by 940 on Delta but I would be late for the service. Still debating whether or not I should go... I want to but don't want to walk into the service late.
 
Re: Kyle and Amanda Franklin burned in crash at airshow

Unfortunately we had a problem with our Duke last night and couldn't take it to Arkansas today, instead we took 2 172s departing 2 hours earlier than originally scheduled because we weren't going to miss it. 5 people went, our owner, chief instructor, a controller, one of my private students and myself. We got to the airport a little before 5:30, wheels up at 6:00.

I knew it was going to be a big deal when I was about 30 miles out and ATC called and asked me to confirm my destination because he said that a whole lot of people were coming in for a funeral and most people were landing at another airport, so he suggested I go to the closer airport.

We got there about 15 minutes before the service started and it quickly began to fill up. They had really nice pictures of her at the entrance with beautiful flowers everywhere. The service itself was great. Family members and friends spoke and thanked everyone for showing up. It looked different than most funerals because while some people were in suits and dresses a large number of people were in their airshow attire or some aviation related kind of clothing(one of the guys with us wore his Oshkosh Tower shirt, for example).

They spoke about her life, her passions (she absolutely loved her dogs), then the preacher gave a really nice story about how Amanda isn't looking down wishing that she was here because in the grand scheme of things our time here on earth is a blink of an eye, and she knows this now. He went on to explain that many times we can ask why things happen, but it is all part of a bigger plan, and even God's disciples ask why too.

Towards the end a few musicians played Nearer My God To Thee, which had just about everyone tearing up, before ending the service with this EAA video: http://www.eaavideo.org/video.aspx?v=973017432001

After the service, everyone went to the graveside service where the fly over was. They passed out pins with a picture of Amanda and Kyle during their act mentioning their fund, and everyone put them on. The flyover was a great touch, then a short prayer and people stayed around to visit with the family. I had a chance to visit with Kyle briefly. He is a great man and it absolutely devastates me to imagine what he is going through, however I think the amazing outpouring of support from friends, family, and fans helped. I have never met Kyle before--I am only just a fan and a fellow pilot, but I showed up because I felt it was the right thing for me to do, and he thanked all of us for it. We gave him some kind words, shook his hand and left.

On the way back to the airport we all started talking about how these are things that no one wants to ever endure but that when they do happen people are there for you. My PPL student who has under 20 hours has heard that aviation is big family, but he said he didn't really understand it until he experienced it today.

I'm sorry if this was a bit rushed, I've been up since 4 and it's almost 11 right now. Once I get some sleep I can post more and fill you guys in a little more on how it went if you want. I also have pictures of the pins and I could post a picture of the funeral program if you are interested, it has a very nice quote on it. I didn't get any video of the flyover, but my friend did, I'm sure I could get a copy of his and post it for you guys as well.

Good night guys.
 
Re: Kyle and Amanda Franklin burned in crash at airshow

Ajax BU said:
Unfortunately we had a problem with our Duke last night and couldn't take it to Arkansas today, instead we took 2 172s departing 2 hours earlier than originally scheduled because we weren't going to miss it. 5 people went, our owner, chief instructor, a controller, one of my private students and myself. We got to the airport a little before 5:30, wheels up at 6:00.

I knew it was going to be a big deal when I was about 30 miles out and ATC called and asked me to confirm my destination because he said that a whole lot of people were coming in for a funeral and most people were landing at another airport, so he suggested I go to the closer airport.

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Good night guys.
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Thanks for the write-up. I really wanted to be there but it is kinda far and I had a prior commitment here in Indiana.
 
Re: Kyle and Amanda Franklin burned in crash at airshow

Thanks man! Post the pictures. I am glad some people from JC were able to attend.
 
Re: Kyle and Amanda Franklin burned in crash at airshow

Sorry I haven't ad time to post the pictures. I've been really busy at work these past few days(just got done soloing my first student), but I'll post them as soon as I can. For what it's worth here is my chief instructors blog post after the funeral:

It's been a while since I've written. In the days since March 12, when I posted the late-night blog about Kyle and Amanda, much of the aviation community (and many new fans outside it) has followed Kyle as he updated us daily on Amanda's condition. Kyle's injuries turned out to be non-life threatening, although he did undergo skin grafts and is still undergoing physical therapy.


It was a roller-coaster ride, and at many times looked like she'd survive. However, infections became uncontrollable and she passed away on May 27. In the meantime, she fought like nobody's business. She became even more of a hero and she didn't even know it.


It's occurred to me many times in the past couple of months how odd this attachment to relative strangers must strike people. And it would be odd, anywhere but aviation. So it was that I found myself flying the first of two of our flight school's 172s to Fayetteville, Arkansas at 0530 yesterday morning. I had brought up the idea of attending Amanda's funeral, and it turned out that our whole professional staff, one student, and one of our controllers from ACT (who also works Oshkosh every year) went.


It was a beautiful, well-attended service. Looking around the church, you could find a true cross-section of the aviation community. Rob Reider, airshow announcer and the host of a lot of Sporty's Pilot Shop's instructional videos, read the obituary and sang a worship song (he's a really good guitar player and singer). Fellow CAF colonels were there in force, wearing their unit shirts. Other airshow fans were there in their airplane-themed Hawaiian shirts. Our buddy Chad, the aforementioned controller, even wore his pink "Oshkosh Tower" shirt (controllers who volunteer to work the world's biggest fly-in wear this shirt as a badge of honor).


At the cemetary, there was a mass flyby (capped by Matt Younkin's twin Beech. He flies a gorgeous airshow routine with it and flew Amanda home in it last week from Texas under the call sign "Amanda One"). There weren't many dry eyes. It was if the airplanes were telling Amanda "goodbye." If you're a pilot, you get that. Airplanes have a soul. Trust me.


Amanda's brother Matt played a solo of amazing grace on his trombone. I don't know how he got through it. And, the five of us got the opportunity to shake hands with Kyle and Matt and thank them---thank them for what their families have done for aviation and thank them for sharing Amanda with all of us.


The other occupants of my 172 were asleep on the flight home, so I had lots of time to think. The whole day was like a somber version of Oshkosh. A family reunion of people who didn't know each other but had a common interest, a common passion, and were on this day mourning for a common reason.


Then I realized why I'm so drawn to the Younkin and Franklin families. They represent the two most important parts of my life: my wife Alisa and my love for aviation. For me and for these families (particularly Kyle and Amanda), those two facets of life are and always will be inseperable. I see a lot of people I know in that relationship---Alisa and I, my sister Amy and her husband Wesley, and many others. We understand things that only people who really live their lives understand, and that connects us in a way that's hard to describe.


If you ever have time, go to the Franklin's Flying Circus page on Facebook and read Kyle's updates...all of them. Kyle's love for Amanda and love for aviation come through in every one, and you'll bawl your eyes out. I'm not afraid to admit that I did often. It hits close to home. It resonates. It reminds me why I do what I do and why I love the woman that I love. It makes me grateful that I grew up at Ball Airport on Saturdays and wondered why the other kids didn't get to go to fly-ins.


That thought process is starting to really help me shape what my calling is in aviation. I want to keep it grass roots, keep it a family activity, and keep it about passionate people who don't meet strangers. People like Kyle and Amanda Franklin do it through airshows, and I want to capture that passion in what I do. And make people feel it. That's going to require me to "stay put" for a while, maybe a long while, as a flight instructor, and I couldn't be more excited or feel more convicted. What I do, and how I want to do it requires every once of a person's being. I'm game.


So now I get it. I can explain that weird pull, in context. I did not know her beyond our Facebook friendship, but she was no stranger. If you're the kind of person to whom that makes sense, I have a calling for you.

http://100lowlead.blogspot.com/
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He has videos of the flyover and as soon as I figure out how to download them I can post those as well, and I'll be sure to post the picture of the pins they handed out too.
 
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