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The Day the Music Died
On February 3, 1959, a four-seat charter plane crashed near Clear Lake, Iowa, killing American rock-and-roll pioneers J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, Buddy Holly, and Ritchie Valens, as well as the young, inexperienced pilot, Roger Peterson. Holly’s band mates Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup had been scheduled to be on that flight, but, instead, Jennings gave up his seat to Richardson, who was too ill for a long bus ride, and Valens won Allsup’s seat in a coin toss. Dion (leader of the Belmonts) was invited to fly, too, but he declined because he felt the $36 fee was extravagant.
The day the music died had only one good result. The newly formed Federal Aviation Administration, created in 1958 as a result of a mid air collision over the Grand Canyon, created regulations that governed on demand air taxi operators flying small aircraft. Previously, anyone with a small airplane and a commercial pilot certificate could hang out a charter for hire sign regardless of their training, experience or maintenance practices.
Bob,
I find it amazing that before 1958 there were no regulations for small planes. Needing just a plane and a certiicate sounded like a recipe for disasters which happened.
In the case of The Big Bopper’s pilot, Peterson, he had not been certified for instrument flying, had not been sufficiently apprised of the coming bad weather (which necessitated using the instruments immediately upon takeoff), and was unfamiliar with the backward-reading dials on the “borrowed” plane he flew that fateful night.–Fred C.
Fred,
I wonder why he didn’t check before he left about the weather. The airport must have had some information then he could have made a more informed decision-like not to fly as he wasn’t instrument certified.
February 4, 2012 at 12:35 pm
Mediafire:
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?bgzbhbve5yifxvy
February 4, 2012 at 12:36 pm
The Day the Music Died
On February 3, 1959, a four-seat charter plane crashed near Clear Lake, Iowa, killing American rock-and-roll pioneers J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, Buddy Holly, and Ritchie Valens, as well as the young, inexperienced pilot, Roger Peterson. Holly’s band mates Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup had been scheduled to be on that flight, but, instead, Jennings gave up his seat to Richardson, who was too ill for a long bus ride, and Valens won Allsup’s seat in a coin toss. Dion (leader of the Belmonts) was invited to fly, too, but he declined because he felt the $36 fee was extravagant.
February 4, 2012 at 6:35 pm
Fred,
I saw the pictures of the crash and the plane was unrecognizable. It was a pile of metal. There were even bodies still around the wreckage.
February 4, 2012 at 12:50 pm
The day the music died had only one good result. The newly formed Federal Aviation Administration, created in 1958 as a result of a mid air collision over the Grand Canyon, created regulations that governed on demand air taxi operators flying small aircraft. Previously, anyone with a small airplane and a commercial pilot certificate could hang out a charter for hire sign regardless of their training, experience or maintenance practices.
February 4, 2012 at 6:37 pm
Bob,
I find it amazing that before 1958 there were no regulations for small planes. Needing just a plane and a certiicate sounded like a recipe for disasters which happened.
February 4, 2012 at 1:59 pm
In the case of The Big Bopper’s pilot, Peterson, he had not been certified for instrument flying, had not been sufficiently apprised of the coming bad weather (which necessitated using the instruments immediately upon takeoff), and was unfamiliar with the backward-reading dials on the “borrowed” plane he flew that fateful night.–Fred C.
February 4, 2012 at 6:38 pm
Fred,
I wonder why he didn’t check before he left about the weather. The airport must have had some information then he could have made a more informed decision-like not to fly as he wasn’t instrument certified.
A tragedy!