The Type of Plane Buddy Holly Died In - TakingOff Ep15

SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE! The B35G V Tail Bonanza! Owner/Pilot Larry Henson takes us on a flight in this plane designed at the end of WWII and this particular one off the line in 1955. Yes, the Bonanza is the plane that Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens died in. But we fared much better. Come take a ride with us!

[@terryrutherford2114]

Nice commentary on the history of that plane. Thanks! Great panel.

[@garyhand4701]

Great ride Larry Henson, I always wanted a Bonanza. Or at least admired them. Had my own Skyhawk N3936-L. Thanks for the ride.

[@drock.713]

I love how you do the audio on these. I can hear the conversation perfectly!

[@phmwu7368]

Understatement "It's a good looking airplane"... well it's a great looking airplane and it's always interesting how each V-tail owner knows some amazing facts about his/her classic Bonanza !

[@crazybrit-nasafan]

Never owned one but worked on one. G-ARKJ. She had a puddle formed in the rear fuselage and nowhere for it to drain. Needed the water out and she was in for an annual but couldn't find a brace and bit (a hand operated drill to non engineers), only a 110 volt one. I figured the force generated by the drill chuck spinning would throw any water away before it got to the drill. Still, I had my colleague ready by the main switch. Yep, it worked and the hole was drilled. I was young then, young and dumb. No way would I attempt that trick now. Not seen that aircraft since that day but I know she is still around. Would love to get a look around her again. And I would let the owner know how that hole happened. 😂

[@indridcold8433]

I want one so much! I would put three stones on the top of the instrument panel and one set of silver wings, in honour of The Big Bopper, Ritchy Valence, Buddy Holly, and Pilot Roger Petterson. I would treasure that plane way beyond what I treasure my vintage Jeep.

[@timinla64]

I don't know anything about flying. 54 yrs old and never been on a plane. I watched because I used to live in Mason City, Iowa and used to go skating in Clear Lake as a child. I've always been interested in the Buddy Holly plane crash and have always wondered what the inside of the plane must have been like..now I know. Thanks for the video, I enjoyed it!.

[@TakingOff]

Hey Tim, appreciate it! Not too old to learn to fly. I got my license after 50.

[@indridcold8433]

@@TakingOff The Big Bopper, Ritchy Valens, Buddy Holly, and the pilot, Roger Peterson died that 3 February 1959. The Big Bopper weighing in at over 300 pounds, plus Ritchy and Buddy, plus equipment and the pilot probably was too heavy an unbalanced load for the small aeroplane. Also, Pilot Roger Peterson was a rather unexperienced pilot. The V-tail Beechcraft Bonanza was also known to be a tricky aeroplane for low experienced pilots. All this made for an unfortunate combination of variables. May they all rest in peace.

[@kvnkaveman]

@@indridcold8433 If you read the NTSB report on the crash you will see the crash was contributed to very poor weather conditions and pilot inexperience, the pilot Roger Peterson wasn't instrument rated for night flying, he took off in near blizzard conditions. The plane had no blame in the crash.

[@indridcold8433]

@@kvnkaveman I hate to bring up the this because the pilot died as well, may he rest in peace, but he was too unexperienced. You are right. The plane design had no fault in the crash. Kobe Bryant had a pilot that should not have been flying either. Unlike Roger Peterson, Kobe Bryant's pilot was diciplined for previous VFR violations. He was rather a bit of an arrogant fellow. Side note: I would love to own a Beechcraft Bonanza V- tail. I find them to be among the most beautiful aircrafts for civil aviation.

[@kvnkaveman]

@@indridcold8433 From what I've read and can recall is that Roger Peterson was a young pilot with very little time in the Bonanza. That accident was very avoidable, What I do know is that as the Pilot you have to know your limitations, if you're not comfortable flying, Don't fly. As the saying goes " there are old pilots and there are bold pilots but there are no old, bold pilots." It just drives me mad when people say " Oh those planes are dangerous that plane killed this celebrity or that person." It's like no that person died on this plane because of an inept pilot. I know what you mean about the V tail. Watching airplane videos always leads to the Bonanza V tail then that leads to checking out Controller and Barnstormers to see what's all for sale then wishing I could afford it.

[@halhammond6831]

Nice G35. Love the updated panel, wingtips, yoke, paint job, interior and third row window.

[@loveplanes]

Really nice plane!. Thanks for sharing...

[@RICHGREENNOW]

Thank you gentleman! I felt like there was a third seat up front. I appreciate the ride and the good company!

[@bettylewen930]

Great video

[@PastorRichardAllenFarmer]

Gentleman? Did you want to address both gentleMEN?

[@FlyersDistrict]

I’m in love with the Bonanzas 😍 such a pretty bird

[@indridcold8433]

I find the V-tail among the most beautiful civil aviation planes made.

[@danmaltby3271]

Lol I never broke any of my budgets only hers , well said

[@asherstanton4561]

I had an original 35 (no letter) bonanza. Enjoyed the heck out of it.

[@kellyreim6627]

Checked out in a m model in 1969, great airplane but a handful on instruments actually had my first real IFR experience in it, that was a eye opener but vertigo can get you in any airplane.

[@stevet8121]

62 years ago today. RIP

[@hadleymanmusic]

Thank you for takin me flying.

[@bullock154]

loved flying split tail my dad had two different ones when i was a kid he would take off and land and let me fly it when we were up. this was back in the 60's

[@HoosierRooster]

I flew in one of these from West Palm Beach to Exuma in the Bahamas and back to West Palm Beach

[@pamagee2011]

When I was a kid, I saw advertisements for the V-tail in my uncle’s Popular Mechanics magazine. Now I own a 1956 H35.

[@samphillips8322]

Great Video. I used to own N4266B, identical to your aircraft. A pleasure to see someone who knows the airplane and can explain its characteristics. Before flying a Bonanza I had been flying multi engine and instructing then flew several models of the V tailed 35 series also the 33 and 36 before we bought 66B. I flew it IFR and VFR day and night, mostly cross -country including numerous business trips. When purchased it needed an engine overhaul. After the overhaul and upgrade to a new Hartzell prop and Cleveland brakes, never had a problem with it. Performance and fuel consumption similar to yours; 11 gph at 22"/2300 and TAS 180 mph +/- depending on altitude. Unfortunately public perception has been affected by a combination of inaccurate reporting and accidents over the years mostly caused by poor judgement. The Beech 35 series is a great airplane, well engineered and well built. It is great to see one flying. When we sold ours, I turned and saw my wife was crying as it flew away...she called it our "magic carpet." Second or third owner after me damaged the aircraft by failing to select a tank with some fuel in it approaching an airport. They walked away from the off-airport landing. NTSB/FAA put a prop on it, switched to the other main tank with fuel in it, and it started right up. As I said, most Bonanza accidents are a result of poor judgement (PC for pilot error). According to the last time I checked the registry, that was the end of 66B.

[@TakingOff]

Thanks for sharing Sam!

[@richterdfr]

Larry, very nice BE-35.

[@billyshepard5514]

This plane is so small it looks like a hobby kit you build yourself

[@oldretireddude]

That was a brutal ride to watch. Wonder how other more conventional but similar size planes would have dealt with the conditions.

[@ronjurgs9799]

I was a pilot myself for 25+ years and started flying before I was 21. About 500 hours of my flight time was in old Beech Bonanzas. One of my old flight instructors had always commented that those old Beeches were a bit tail heavy and always put the fattest passenger up front especially if there's any luggage. I suspect that weather wasn't much of a factor in the death of Buddy Holly. More likely was the Bonanza was tail heavy and the flight ended up after it did a power on stall at a low altitude. The pilot probably couldn't get the nose down to get his climb speed up even at full power. It's all just a guess on my part. Probably the weather would have been a major factor had the flight continued towards North Dakota. I've lived in Iowa for more than 60 years so know the area well. I have flown the Bonanza in plenty of IFR weather on business and had a commercial and instrument rating. I really liked how it flew but it did have a tendency to oscillate a bit on the yaw axis when in bumpy weather. That really didn't cause much trouble and I was used to it.

[@MrJeep75]

I believe the plane was overloaded, bad weather, not enough experience

[@masonallen3901]

My grandfather called the bonanza a Beechball cause of the oscillations in the Iowa wind currents.....

[@ronjurgs9799]

@@masonallen3901 The Bonanza did oscillate about the yaw axis some when you hit a bump. This was well known by Bonanza pilots and expected so it wasn’t much of an issue. I’ve flown many IFR flights in Bonanzas and even then, a little oscillation on a bumpy flight didn’t bother me. Pipers and Cessnas didn’t do this because they had a vertical tail rudder. The main issue here was the center of gravity a little too far to the aft. That can be deadly on the Beach Bonanza unless you expect it and know exactly how to deal with it. “Doctor killer” was another common name for this type of aircraft back then. The Bonanza was a bit expensive and doctors who made good money were more likely to own one. Unfortunately, they tended to be prepossessed with their profession and didn’t spend enough time learning all the ins and outs of the Bonanza.

[@ITILII]

The most important instrument, the attitude indicator, is NOT the type that was in the Buddy Holly plane. That plane had a Sperry indicator, which was totally unfamiliar to the pilot, who should NOT have been flying in those conditions and wasn't qualified to do so. The one who leased the plane and the pilot killed 4 people, the owner should have been prosecuted.

[@texasl-19birddogjimmiles34]

Good video. Nice plane as well!!

[@TakingOff]

Thanks! Yeah, Larry's Bo is really nice.

[@texasl-19birddogjimmiles34]

I wish you look with your project. We need more blogs like yours and Josh's about general aviation. A friend of mine tried to put on a radio show in Houston several years ago about GA and went well until he tried syndication and it went in the crapper after that. Too hard to get sponsorship on a national level but local sponsors were no problem. Myself and several others have toyed with the idea of trying to resurrect Hangar Talk Radio show but so far its just an idea and will probably remain just that.

[@TakingOff]

Thanks! Yeah, In The Hangar will premiere in a couple of weeks. Im hoping people will share and subscribe and we can get some momentum.

[@johnrltr]

In the interest of accuracy, the Bonanza in question was a 1947 model, with a 185 h.p engine. It's panel did not resemble this one. It had a useful load of 992 lbs; payload of 730 lbs. (full fuel of 40 gallons) Very likely it was overloaded by 75-100 lbs. at takeoff. However, the CAA's probable cause was: The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the pilot's unwise decision to embark on a flight which would necessitate flying solely by instruments when he was not properly certificated or qualified to do so. Contributing factors were serious deficiencies in the weather briefing, and the pilot's unfamiliarity with the instrument which determines the attitude of the aircraft.

[@europaeuropa3673]

Wasn't icing a factor?

[@AquaCarb]

@@europaeuropa3673 There was the possibility of ice and that is all they put in the report.

[@phmwu7368]

It was February 3, 1959 and the aircraft had 4 pax onboard... went down 5 miles northwest of Mason City, Iowa. Buddy Holly was only 22 years old. R.I.P.

[@terrygold8191]

Excellent video I had a question I have 1955 F 35 N3856B,. What is the difference between the F model versus the G model? And also when did the switch from the F to the G what month?

[@robertthrailkill1368]

I have owned and flown a P35 Bonanza for 12 years. They are just superb aircraft in they just do all things well. Just big enough, fast enough, good seating and visibility, sturdy easy to maintain airframes, good slow speed and stall behavior and useful loads. A pilots airplane. No rescue parachute but any Bonanza with IO550 engine will perform as well or better than a Cirrus.

[@dlouque]

Great story and video, glad I found this channel last week and subscribed. I have to tell you though, you look very familiar to me like I have met you in person or something before. Either through my work or at an airport.

[@TakingOff]

Where you located?

[@wallystoolshed7050]

They were on their way to a concert in Moorhead Minnesota. They died and a local talent, Bobby Vee took over

[@mikewaterfield3599]

Its appalling how many famous people have forgotten that fame and fortune do not divorce one from the power of physics.

[@markg6860]

what is that handheld camera you are using (the one on the stick)?

[@hadleymanmusic]

I was grease monkey for an apia and we had a 74 remodel. White maroon and navyblu t tail. But when I pulled inspection plates it was 55' seafoam green! They only came that and coral pink if I remember correctly.

[@jackbego6571]

Beautiful airplane, you appear to be more interested in your video equipment than learning/experienced the aircraft. “Going back to the 50’s was almost insulting!

[@dufus2273]

they came out with a tail modification too after several problems , some crashes.

[@REDMAN298]

An old timer, that gave me a lot of insite to getting my PPL, told me to never get in a V tail. He lost a friend to one that broke in half. I got to ride in a `63 P model and we landed south at Meigs in Chicago. Fun!

[@mikejordan8259]

I'm a fan of the three Stars and I too was curious about what the inside of the plane looked. I'll be honest, I'm kind of freaked out.

[@lockedin60]

This caught my attention because I thought you were going to talk about the Buddy Holley fatal crash. But you were smart. It has been covered by a lot of people in the aviation industry. I know the particulars quite well. I am not sure if any new insights could be gleaned from this accident. It is part of history. Maybe cover the warning signs for new aviators. Since I am a musician myself it is always draws me in. IMHO Buddy could have had a bigger impact on music then Elvis if he had lived. Actually all the musicians lost in that fatal accident could have been major influencers in their respective music genre.

[@in2flying]

Thanks to following Josh I found you guys. What camera's did you use, love the resolution. I'm guessing that was a bumpy day because the plane seems to be all over the place despite the yaw inherit in the plane.

[@TakingOff]

On this one, had hero 3+, 5 and 6, and a DJI Osmo.

[@russwayne2132]

So, he never got a chance to finish about the dangers of nose over and increasing the speed. What happens exactly? Does the plane lose control in a dive? Is it due to the tail configuration?

[@indridcold8433]

The Split Tail Doctor Killer! Rest in peace Buddy Holly, Ritchy Valens, The Big Bopper, and pilot Roger Peterson. May you find calm skies and good flying weather.

[@evilfluff6634]

Indrid Cold the sad part of a fatal crash with a famous star on board most people forget the rest of the passengers and flight crew.

[@maxhaines3794]

@@evilfluff6634 and the destroyed V-Tails🥺

[@the-bu3lb]

Why are these planes always crashing what’s the deal with the v tail and why do people keep flying them if they are so dangerous

[@sterlingfoley2939]

It's not the plane just the pilot flying them

[@indridcold8433]

@@sterlingfoley2939 Exactly right! I love the V35! I would get one without any reservation to owning one. I love those beautiful, futuristic, streamlined, lines! It is gorgeous! A lot medical doctors were kind of arrogant, some still are today. Because they could do one thing well, they believed they are educated enough to do things better than everyone else with minimal instruction and education on the task. There is nothing wrong with the forked tail doctor killer except it did not kill the arrogance a lot of medical doctors had back then. Today, that arrogance has more moved to the very wealthy, rather than medical doctors. If I get a V35, I may lend it out to some idiots I know that are sucking from daddy's trust fund.

[@itiswhatitis4846]

Always had a love affair with the V tail, she’s beautiful, sexy and in the right hands, a great plane! I bought a 1965 Comanche in iuka MS. Commercial flight to Memphis where we flew to iuka in a bonanza. I was like a kid again! We flew formation for quite a ways back home and those two airplanes next to each other were quite the site but that bonanza would easily walk away from my Comanche lol. Makes me want one even more! Thanks for the video! Happy flying!

[@TakingOff]

Any pics from the formation flight?

[@itiswhatitis4846]

Yeah, a few single Picts and a video or two. I’d share them but I don’t know how to upload to KZbin lol. I’m working on avionics upgrades and interior as well as lighting inside and out. Still working on getting my ppl cert so I can fly by myself. Need to find an instructor close to me and someone that I can not only trust but who knows an airplane like the Comanche. :)

[@TakingOff]

@@itiswhatitis4846 Check out the In The Hangar on this channel where we talk to instructors about how to find instructors. What part of country are you in?

[@itiswhatitis4846]

I’m in Colorado Springs area. I’ve found one person but I believe he’s in Omaha. I’ll try and look up the channel. My E mail is at G mail ... it’s ryesinup if you wanna contact me there.

[@jbreezy101]

It was the weather and lack of [IMC] experience of the pilot that caused the crash where the music died

[@brandtbecker1810]

Buddy Holly et al were going from Clear Lake, IA to Fargo, ND - just to clarify (-:

[@dublindavepoker]

Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, Big Bopper, Roger Peterson were going from Mason City, IA to Fargo, ND - just to clarify :-)

[@sandyotelli8886]

@Penumbra why"that special night"is the damned haunting question,Dear🀄😒😭🗿⛪it is gonna be sixty years Soon tragedy happenned and not everything have been revealed about this enigma😈

[@jeffhodge2276]

Another famous musician/guitarist perished in this exact model back in March 1982.....my ultimate mentor Randy Rhoads. Such a tragic loss to the music world, as Randy had just won a major award for "Best New Talent", beating out Eddie Van Halen in the guitar community. He was on his way to being a world class musician, being a pioneer of incorporating classical guitar lines into hard rock....and what a blend it was!! The crash had nothing to do with the V-tailed Bonanza itself, just the fact that the pilot / tour-bus driver started goofing off, and it had fatal consequences!! :/ The band's general aide/cook/helper was an elderly lady with a heart condition, and Randy had a bad fear of flying to begin with!! After the tour-bus driver had driven all night from Tennessee to Florida for the next show, he stopped into his compound outside of Orlando to drop off some articles he didn't need on the bus, to make more room. This compound also was equipped with a small take-off/landing strip for small aircraft, as well as a hangar with aircraft. This bus-driver/part-time pilot decided to borrow a Bonanza (without permission) and take Rachel (who already had a heart condition!) up for a short, gentle sightseeing flight. They in turn, talked Randy into going up with them, after promising a nice mellow flight and he grabbed his camera to take aerial photo's. Everything started fine with the pilot circling the area 2 or 3 times......but then all of a sudden, the idiot thought it'd be funny to start dive-bombing the tour-bus and try waking the rest of the band members and crew who were still fast asleep at 8:00 in the morning!!! The 3rd time circling around and "buzzing" the tour-bus, the Bonanza's left wing clipped the side of the bus, cartwheeling it over, crashing through a pine tree and finally exploding into the garage of a large house. All 3 people aboard were killed instantly, and the only wreckage of the plane left behind was the left wing that clipped the bus, and the crankshaft of the Bonanza's engine inside the garage. Since there was no "black-box" ever found, it's impossible to say why the pilot decided to pull such an idiotic stunt......especially knowing 1 passenger had a very bad heart condition, and the other had a very bad fear of flying to begin with!!! There have been many theories and dumb SPECULATIONS that have been mentioned, but the only correct conclusion is that the pilot made a very stupid and fatal error that tragic morning. And this my friends is what i call "The Day The Music Died Part #2".

[@TakingOff]

Had not heard this story. Very sad. Sounds like the bus driver/pilot was doing stupid things and it's hideous he took others with him. Thanks for sharing.

[@jeffhodge2276]

@@TakingOff Thanx for the reply....i was always curious what the inside of a Beech Bonanza looked like. After the autopsies were completed, it was ruled that the pilot/bus driver had trace amounts of cocaine in his urine, but not in his blood. This caused rumors that he was on a coked-up kamikaze/suicide mission. But the fact of the matter is cocaine will stay in your urine for up to a week.....if he had done the cocaine just prior to the fatal flight, it would have shown up in his blood work when the autopsy was concluded. I believe it was just a matter of him being sleep-deprived after driving the tour bus throughout the night, so his judgements flying the plane were not as sharp as they normally would have been. According to keyboardist Don Airey who witnessed it all, the Bonanza was in a 45 degree left bank turn approx 10 feet off the ground when the left wing made impact with the tour bus. If you get a chance, you can Google "Randy Rhoads plane crash". There's also quite a bit of footage here on KZbin as well. Take care....and safe flying!! :)

[@dpurplefox]

Andrew Aycock the pilot had been involved in another aircraft accident before this one

[@williamrappe8371]

Lots of Talk about the Buddy Holly Crash, the AHI may have been caged from the crash, the actual fact is that there were two types of these and the Pilot was use to a different type where they worked the same but differently in the indications, but this one had the Sperry, the Pilot was not use to plus He had failed His IFR Exam several times before this Flight. They were flying from Clear Lake, IA (MCW) to Moorehead (actually flying to KFAR (Fargo, ND) but only made it 5 NM Northwest of MCW. There is a Memorial at the Crash Site. When they were talking about the speed the VTail could achieve, this, in part, was the How the actual Crash occurred , drove it in to the Ground, there is a Web site (buddyhollyplanecrash) has photos.

[@TakingOff]

Thanks for the info! Yeah, with all the possibilities of what might have happened, hard to get past the pilot.

[@larrylizzard4938]

Pilot Roger Peterson logged 52 hours of instrument training and passed his written instrument test but failed an instrument flight check nearly a year prior to the crash. Of 711 hours Peterson had logged 128 were in Bonanza’s and he had been with Dwyer Flying Services for about a year. His file states that he had a hearing deficiency in one ear and had a tendency to panic when having to rely solely on instruments at night. His frozen and mangled body was embalmed before the autopsy so use of drugs or alcohol is unknown. His father owned a small plane and he had been flying since age 13. Peterson had been married 9 months.

[@charlesharper7292]

Dry dump engines have less fluid resistance on rotating assembly. Engine crankshaft. More power, better fuel economy. A little more compact. You do have a remote oil tank.

[@boss_hogg]

Is th Rio Concho still at Hicks? I remember when you use to have to back taxi on 14 to use all the runway.

[@TakingOff]

Yes. Most of us go elsewhere for fuel though. They are expensive.

[@boss_hogg]

Yeah...They were expensive back in 1999 too...Luckily my flight school had its own fuel. Plus all the planes ran off MOGAS.

[@TakingOff]

Nice. New FBO at Meacham offering a pretty cool deal. Im gonna check that out. An annual fee, then you get Avgas at cost.

[@hughes2397]

All my life, I've always loved these old V-Tail Bonanzas. There's never been absolutely anything wrong with these aircraft at all. Every incident that's happened has all mainly been due to pilot error.

[@lbbradley55]

Yea that's what I heard them called. Dr Killers! I live next to a Airport all my life. Not as many around any more. But I did watch a Dr & family burn in one after they tried to take off from here after Christmas. Going back to Boca Raton FL. they had flew up to do Xmas & family gifts over loaded their Aircraft. Made it Airborne but soon lost climb & well... But I don't remember it having the V tail but the normal tail. ! Bad day in 1980

[@TakingOff]

Wow... very sad.

[@paulhatcher9767]

Overloaded or the CG was off.

[@lbbradley55]

@@paulhatcher9767 yea they decided after it happened that it was overloaded

[@jamesellis5549]

My father was a doctor and 2 of his doctor friends died in their v tail Bonanzas; "the forked tailed doctor killers". If you have ever been around doctors many of them do not really respect other professions and think that they could automatically do something like flying if these other idiots do it.Hence they buy "too much airplane too soon" and get in over their heads in high performance ,slippery aircraft when they should get several hundred hours in simple,slower aircraft.That is how both of my fathers friends died,

[@lbbradley55]

@@jamesellis5549 I have no doubt. If I am Correct the V tail has a Stall speed of 90 where say a Cessna 182 Stall speed is about 45-50 so that's probably a good comparison. I am no pilot. Considered it a long time ago. But I had to many other hobbies. Diving Spearfishing. Ect. I did jump from 14 Thousand ft. I want a Hello !!!

[@pacificdragon1]

I have heard that some people nicknamed the Bonanza the Doctor Killer because of the high number of Doctor/Owners that have had accidents in them.

[@buckshot704]

I’d venture the same description could be implemented for any aircraft that is more advanced than the proficiency of the pilot.

[@the-bu3lb]

I see you mentioned you redid your dash. And went over her budget. But 90% of the gages are old style why not go digital if you were redoing the dash ? Is the cost double or triple

[@Dani65ful]

I can answer that for you about Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and Big Bopper..they were heading to Moorehead MN,, which is east of Fargo ND.. some say it was a blizzard other say a snow showers.. with light wind.. now for the bus yes the heater broke down in the bus.. and they had to head out from Clear Lake IA to go to Moore MN mind you this was before the interstate highway system ever was built in some states.. not sure if the rest stayed in Clear Lake waiting for a different bus or that one to get fixed.. now Ritchie was deathly afraid of flying due to fear of dying in a plane crash he dreamt of since a small boy.. but one of Buddys band member actualy won the seat on the plane but knowing that Ritchie was sick and needed a warm bed he fudged the results fo the coin toss claiming Ritchie won. thats how I take it through the research on the trio .. mind you this was all 6 years before I was even born.. .. hope this helps

[@markg6860]

Tommy Allsup was the band member who gave up his seat to Valens. Valens actually kept bugging Allsup, saying "C'mon man, let me fly". Eventually, Allsup decided on the coin toss ... which he lost, but which saved his life.

[@5153flash]

So The question is would you take off at night in a snow storm ,in that? How crazy of a move was their flight??

[@hadleymanmusic]

When I rode backseat instead of hangin all over the pilots shoulder and buggin every move I look back to watch the buffet on the tail.

[@marleangreene6117]

I wonder what happened that night , sime say the pilot did know what he was doing that he thought they were going up but actually they were going down , i read the plane hit the ground at a speed of 169 mph, it so sad such a great loss that night 4 young men lost there lives

[@ronaldrime5286]

Taking Off What does it mean for the artificial horizon to be caged?

[@jackyclaiborne2142]

So this is the particular model of aircraft that Buddy Holley, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Vallens bit it in. It's made by Beech Aircraft Company, which made the 1900 Commuter airliner, that I myself have flown on number of times. Many have told me that they think that the accident with Holley, Vallens and the Big Bopper was caused by icing. However, It's my understanding that it was caused by pilot error, much of which was due to the pilot not being accustomed to the Bonanza and it's gyro. It's my understanding that weather had little or nothing to do with it. The Holley, Vallen's and Big Bopper's pilot had had most of his flying experience in a different aircraft. At least in the movie, "LaBamba", Buddy Holley was in the shotgun seat next to the pilot. Ritchine Vallens was in the back seat on the port side. The Big Bopper was in the back on the starboard side.

[@TakingOff]

Yeah, this is the model. It surprised me how small it was inside. The general consensus is that pilot wasn't really ready for IMC flying.

[@grumpyoldfart1945]

Jacky Claiborne m

[@christophermichael.w.7577]

I thought it was another model because the cabin of the plane in the movie looked a little different

[@kenclark9888]

Buddy Holly died in a 1947 Model 35.

[@chrismoody1342]

From the underbelly camera I can def see some yaw going on. I never knew this was a trademark of bananas 🍌 I’m a Mooney fan myself. Slightly slower but thats due to most Mooney’s being 200hp. Either way wheels up is a cool thing. 😎

[@deeno1114]

I believe Randy Rhoads also died in this plane.

[@lockedin60]

Reputations of airplane "Doctor Killers" or "Business Killers" is just like the argument against guns. It boils down to the user or the pilot. Knowledge and experience of the individual then the mechanical device. The emotions of the public gets in the way of logic.

[@hadleymanmusic]

Close coupled . V. Tail for cruise enhancement. Hahaa i said 55 hey man check under the I plates an see what color?

[@ronhunt2477]

These airplanes got a bad rap as a result of hysterics and ignorance! V-tail Bonanza's are not doctor killers, quite the contrary. It was the inexperienced doctors who were Bonanza killers.

[@PastorRichardAllenFarmer]

Apostrophe not required in order to pluralize a Bonanza. Simply add the letter s. You are not showing possession(example: my friend's plane). More than one Bonanza=Bonanzas.

[@TheBoneyardWrangler]

That’s correct Ron. The same thing happens now with Cirrus. And just like Beechcraft initiated a pilot education program to address the problem so to has Cirrus. Unfortunately,some of the mud will always stick.

[@evilfluff6634]

Rule one never get in a aircraft with someone who is famous. Or a v tail with a doctor.

[@billsanders5067]

The plane got nick named "the vee tail doctor killer".

[@jorgelopez-pr6dr]

I would feel uneasy.

[@JohnDoe-rn6qu]

I had a V-Tail sailplane. Great machine but deadly in a spin - recovery due to the v-tail isn't always guaranteed.

[@JohnDoe-rn6qu]

WHAT an utterly stupid reply!!

[@alessio272]

I’ve had spin recovery training in a Cessna 172 in the utility category. Very easy to recover if you follow the flows. As for the bonanza there is not much rudder authority to counter the spin. Coordinated turns are very critical in the V-tail.

[@motiv311]

you guys look like brothers

[@texasl-19birddogjimmiles34]

This makes me want to sell my L-19 Birddog and buy a Bonanza

[@TakingOff]

Don't do that!

[@hadleymanmusic]

What about slip at speed to slow down.

[@larrygreen8912]

These planes have a big problem with CG ( center of gravity) . Four adults ,200 lbs of luggage and full of fuel could easily have an aft CG . To stop the yaw just push both rudders at the same time . Great aircraft just some pilots get complacent on the limits of the aircraft.

[@TakingOff]

Good point Larry. Riding in one for the first time, I was amazed that Buddy and the other three would all cram into this plane. I had always envisioned a larger plane they went down in.

[@ekweseman]

It will be sixty years this year since the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper happened. The tragedy inspired the Don McLean 1970s hit song "American Pie".

[@ShuRugal]

I must not be part of "everyone" - i always hit the flap release (manual hydraulic) and kill the boost pump and carb heat on rollout. reasons: Flaps - get weight fully on wheels for more effective braking Carb heat - don't draw unfiltered air on the ground boost pump - no need to wear it out running on the ground

[@devinw5150]

Not quite the same. It’s daytime and it’s not snowing lol

[@theghastlygamer5326]

Are you not allowed to fly with windows open? Cause in the summer it would be unbearable

[@TakingOff]

Depends on the plane. I have a Cessna 210 that's not really made to fly with windows open. But there are vents. This Bonanza has a small window you can open on the pilots side.

[@theghastlygamer5326]

@Galileo7of9 how bout you stay silent if you have nothing helpful to say

[@peternewman1179]

In discussion of such a tragic sad aviation event, the music here is just a little too happy in my opinion...😯

[@AltonRowell-gb1lb]

My brother use to fly a beach v tail. It's a fast plane. He flys for American eagle now. He's got 26000 plus hours. He flying a Embraer 145. He said the Embraer flys like a steal dart.

[@KutWrite]

Your flight seems typical of mine in a V-tail: Lots of yaw with turbulence. An MD owner-friend of mine showed how you "dance" on the rudder pedals to minimize that. Nice video, but no thumb-up due to click-bait title.

[@TakingOff]

Yeah, I was actually expecting more yaw. Maybe Larry did a fabulous job hiding it. As far as the title... well I'm new and trying. ;)

[@mustangmooney21]

Why does the pilot say airspeed alive? And to who? I'm a pilot and I have never heard of the phrase? Beautiful aircraft by the way !!

[@TakingOff]

For me, even when flying alone, I talk out loud because if I don't, I tend to gloss over important check list things. By saying "airspeed alive" it forces me to look and be aware that my instruments are in fact, operating correctly at this crucial stage of the flight.

[@kellyreim6627]

Good idea if you can’t fly without the airspeed indicator.

[@672egalaxie6]

So that plane was built in September 1955. James Dean died on September 30, 1955 driving a Porsche that was also powered by a horizontally opposed air cooled engine. Coincidence? Oh, I don't think so....kidding, of course, thanks fer takin' us along....

[@TakingOff]

LOL

[@hadleymanmusic]

They had gear onboard and bad weather conditions

[@TheFlyingController]

How was sitting in the right seat dude? :-)

[@TakingOff]

Very tough!! And no yoke in front of me!

[@kellyreim6627]

I remember when the ama wanted to outlaw the bonanza.

[@TakingOff]

Really? Had not heard that.

[@tungstenkid2271]

I hear the artificial horizon in the Holly plane was a non-standard type which the pilot wasn't familiar with, so it was probably the prime cause of the crash.

[@TakingOff]

I haven't heard that. Interesting.

[@tungstenkid2271]

Yes, this excerpt from Wiki explains it-..... "The pilot..had received his instrument training on airplanes equipped with a conventional artificial horizon...while N3794N was equipped with an older-type Sperry F3 attitude gyroscope. Crucially, the two types of instruments display the same aircraft pitch attitude information in graphically opposite ways" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_the_Music_Died

[@davedruid7427]

Well - You did not try to take off in Snowy Freezing Conditions.

[@TakingOff]

No, June in Texas, the freezing layer was a bit higher than our altitude for that flight. LOL.

[@TheBoneyardWrangler]

Nice video. However I don’t like the music playing over the top. Fine if it was a little more in the background not front of house. Just sayin 👍🏼

[@TakingOff]

Thanks for the note!

[@mikearakelian6368]

I dont like using any bonanza for charter due to small c/g range.maybe 3 people...vfr day...alwsys use piper products better load n cg range

[@gr8guitarplayer]

Like you really had to clarify that it wasn't the actual plane they died in?

[@TakingOff]

Well, you never know. Haha.

[@MrJeep75]

I would of redid the original stuff

[@MrJeep75]

Mason City they were flying from

[@donjohnston3776]

Saw Flying Doodles land on runway 14 yesterday

[@smartscratcheastmidlands6589]

It's not rocket science of that sort of plane wouldn't last in a snowstorm....

[@onfin3al6]

Don't blame the plane . Fact , it was a night flight in the winter , the pilot had little experience and most likely not instrument rated . After takeoff they flew into a storm , need I say more ?

[@BranGrizz]

you're too busy messing with your gear, you're cutting your guest off, not listening to him, interrupting him

[@raymondmusa4019]

Bothered me too. Enough with the tinkering :-(

[@DHMovie100]

The plane didn't kill Buddy Holly a pilot who didn't follow the rules did. VFR into IFR usually always kills.

[@earlklinestub2167]

So only two people died that morning. Got it. Great

[@djhubba]

It is not Carswell you tool! It is NAS JRB Ft. Worth.. it's a Naval Air Base. It's been a Naval base since 1994!

[@quinlandboy1013]

My theory on the plane crash Ritchie fell asleep in the plane had one of his nightmare's he woke up Buddy Holly's pistol went off made Ritchie panicking triggering Ritchie into a seizure the pilot tries to land to check on Ritchie but when he tried to land the fence tripped the landing gear and they all died

[@pip12111]

A very Squirrely plane

[@Mdkeiper]

Nice. My favorite plane. Sexy.