Pilot Profile - Jan Wildbergh

Jan Wildbergh came to the GEICO Skytypers all the way from the Netherlands but was born in the Sumatra island of Indonesia. Jan had a storied military career as a pilot that began at age 18 when he enlisted in the Dutch Air Force, soloing his first jet during pilot training in the U.S under the MDAP program.

He received his wings in 1954 where he flew in the Dutch Air Force operational squadron 314. In 1959 he demobilized and left for the U.S. as an immigrant finding pilot work as ground personnel for a major international carrier (BA) and eventually a flight instructor, chief pilot and FAA pilot examiner.

Officially retired, Jan resided in Freeport, New York and enjoyed scuba diving, boating, and flying with the GEICO Skytypers.

Skytyper Pilot Jan Wildbergh Dies After Crash

The pilot of a civilian World War II stunt plane died Friday after the plane crashed while practicing just hours before an air show, officials said.

Jan Wildbergh, the flight leader with the Skytypers Air Show Team, died following the crash at the Oceana Naval Air Station, team sponsor GEICO Insurance said in a statement.

Larry Arken, deputy squadron commander of the six-man team, said earlier that the pilots had just finished rehearsing their routine at the Virginia Beach base and were coming in for a landing when the No. 6 plane, the last in the formation, crashed.

Arken was flying first, so he did not see the plane go down. But he said he heard from witnesses that the plane flew into the ground while still under its own power, he told The Associated Press from Oceana when reached on his cellphone.

Wildbergh trained with the Dutch Air Force, for which he flew first-generation jet fighters during the Cold War, the GEICO statement said. He moved to the U.S. to pilot private aircraft, ran a flight school and joined Skytypers in 1986.

The crash was being investigated, base spokesman Troy Snead said. The base was not open to the public when the plane crashed about noon, but some invited guests were watching the practice, Snead said.

The plane had no ejection system, and the pilot was flying too low to use his parachute, team spokesman Ralph Roberts told WAVY-TV in Portsmouth.

"He probably tried to continue to make the maneuver and save the plane, possibly by doing a belly flop," Roberts said.

The annual three-day air show, sponsored by the Navy, was still scheduled to begin Friday evening.

About Geico Skytypers

GEICO SKYTYPERS AIRCRAFT HISTORY
The SNJ, by North American Aviation, a two-place advanced trainer, was the classroom for most of the Allied pilots who flew in World War II. Called the T-6 Texan by the Army Aircorp, the Harvard by the RAF, and affectionately known as "the pilot maker" by its crews, the SNJ was designed as a transition trainer between basic trainers and first-line tactical aircraft.
In all, the SNJ trained several hundred thousand pilots in 34 different countries. A total of 15,495 of the planes were made. Though most famous as a trainer, the SNJ also won honors in World War II and in the early days of the Korean War.

The GEICO Skytypers of New York operate the SNJ-2 version, which is the only model with the enlarged, 180 gallon fuel tank, allowing the aircraft to operate for over four hours. In addition, the aircraft is eight inches shorter than the other variants, has a bigger round rudder and a fixed tail wheel.

This remarkable and versatile aircraft was an evolution of the company's BC-1 basic combat trainer, which was first produced for the U.S. Army Air Corps with fixed landing gear in 1937 under a contract that called for 174 planes. It was designed by North American as a low-cost trainer with all the characteristics of a high-speed fighter. Although not as fast as a fighter, it was easy to maintain and repair, had more maneuverability and was easier to handle.

A pilot's airplane, it could roll, loop, spin, snap, and vertical roll. It was designed to give the best possible training in all types of tactics, from ground strafing to bombardment and aerial dog-fighting, and contained such versatile equipment as bomb racks, blind flying instrumentation, gun and standard cameras, fixed and flexible guns, and just about every other device that military pilots had to operate.

Geico Skytyper Crashes In Air Show

A member of the Geico Skytyper Air Show Team has gone down during a rehearsal today for Saturday's Oceana Air Show in Virginia Beach. The status of the pilot is unknown.

An accident has happened during a rehearsal for the Oceanic Air Show in Norfolk, Virginia, and one of the planes has gone down, resulting in a crash to the ground and thick smoke rising into the air. It is unknown how the accident happened.

The Geico Skytyper Air Show Team uses World War II planes and smoke to write messages in the air. The Air Show team members perform low-flying and air tricks - they are the only skytypers on the east coast.

The choreography the team uses is rehearsed to perfection to prevent accidents. Skytyper pilot Steve Kapur said recently that their team hasn't had any close calls.

Oceana Air Show 2007 Welcomes You

The 2007 Naval Air Station Oceana Air Show officially kicks off at 5:30 pm Friday evening, September 7th with the stunning Twilight Air Show. Don t miss dazzling sunset and nighttime aerial performances, blazing pyrotechnics and a fireworks show. When the show ends, make sure you stop by the NAS Oceana Officer's Club to enjoy a refreshing beverage in this legendary watering hole. The NAS Oceana Air Show main event begins on Saturday and Sunday the 8th and 9th of September.

This year's power-packed lineup includes Skip Stewart, Steve Oliver, Bill Leff, Manfred Radius, The Geico Skytypers, the Shockwave Jet Truck, the British Red Devils, the Blackwater USA jump team, "Snort" Snodgrass and Rob Reider. Military jets like the FA-18F Super Hornet and the F-22 Raptor will fill the skies with thunder and the British Red Devils and Blackwater USA teams will delight and amaze the crowd with their precision performances.
Admission: Free

Event date(s):
Sep 7, 2007 - Sep 9, 2007
Sunday, Friday, Saturday
Various

Event location:
Naval Air Station Oceana
1750 Tomcat Blvd
Virginia Beach VA 23460
757-433-3131