Comments on: Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=754 Online perspective from the editors of "AOPA Pilot". Tue, 21 May 2013 14:44:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: David Reinhart http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=754&cpage=1#comment-41011 David Reinhart Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:02:33 +0000 http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=754#comment-41011 Jill,

That’s what I thought. I’ve read a number of statements by Don McLean about the lyrics and never saw that. I’m not surprised that our local paper bought into that particular myth.

]]> By: Jill Tallman http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=754&cpage=1#comment-41008 Jill Tallman Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:06:56 +0000 http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=754#comment-41008 David,
Don McLean debunks that as an urban legend on his Web site, which I’ve linked in the blog entry. It’s a pretty interesting read. As McLean says, “I was poor when I wrote it, but it made me a millionaire overnight.”

]]> By: David Reinhart http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=754&cpage=1#comment-40925 David Reinhart Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:17:00 +0000 http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=754#comment-40925 One newspaper report I’ve seen regarding the anniversary of this accident said that the Bonanza was named “Miss American Pie” and that’s where Don McLean got the name of the song. I haven’t seen that anywhere else. Anybody else heard that particular factoid?

]]> By: Alex Kovnat http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=754&cpage=1#comment-40145 Alex Kovnat Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:55:49 +0000 http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=754#comment-40145 >Also, don’t think that the life of a VIP is more important than everyone else’s.

That is exactly why pilots should stand up to egotistical celebrity/VIP’s!

As I said, the pilot’s life is at risk too and also: What if that Beechcraft Bonanza carrying Buddy Holly et al, were to have crashed into someone’s house? It so happens that in the area where I live, there was in fact a tragedy years ago in which a Beech Model 18 operated by a fly-by-night outfit, crashed into a home and took the lives of the parents of three young children.

]]> By: Mark McCormick http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=754&cpage=1#comment-40106 Mark McCormick Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:45:00 +0000 http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=754#comment-40106 And when you refuse the flight you WILL PROBABLY BE FIRED! I know. Been there. Also, don’t think that the life of a VIP is more important than everyone else’s.

]]> By: Alex Kovnat http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=754&cpage=1#comment-40102 Alex Kovnat Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:32:28 +0000 http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=754#comment-40102 Considering how important Buddy Holly was to pop music history, I consider it shocking that one Roger Peterson, who wasn’t instrument rated and wasn’t familiar with the instrumentation in the plane he was flying, was entrusted with the lives of Buddy and two other well-known performers.

Perhaps the most important lesson to be learned from this 50 year old tragedy is, if you are a prominent person (rock performer or otherwise) NEVER pressure your pilot to make a flight – you are endangering his or her life as well as your own. And if you are a pilot entrusted with the lives of VIP’s, DON’T let their stature intimidate you. If any future Buddy Holly, Jim Croce, Patsy Cline, etc. tries to pressure you into making a flight under conditions beyond your capability, tell said VIP/celebrity to go to hell.

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