Love of aviation keeps Roush in the air

As the photographs of businessman and NASCAR team owner Jack Roush’s sleek jet lying in pieces on the ground in Oshkosh, Wisc., flashed onto computer and television screens Tuesday night, the news that he emerged comparatively unscathed was a sobering reminder that the 68-year old “Cat in the Hat” had dodged yet another bullet, surviving his second plane crash in less than 10 years.

It was April 2002 when Roush, flying a friend's ultra-light aircraft for the first time, flew into unmarked power lines over a small lake outside of Troy, Ala. The aircraft plunged upside down into chest high water, leaving a severely injured and unconscious Roush clinging to life. As fate would have it, a retired Marine trained in underwater recovery happened to be on the shore and was able to pull Roush from the mangled wreckage and summon help.

Roush suffered numerous severe injuries requiring multiple surgeries. Yet, within three weeks of the accident, he was behind the yoke of an airplane, flying himself to the racetrack.

Lady Luck was once again with him on Monday when his multi-million dollar, carbon-fiber bodied jet crashed in the middle of an airfield, surrounded by tens of thousands of people and dozens of experienced emergency personnel. This time, Roush’s injuries were far less severe as both he and his companion, Brenda Stricklin, were able to walk away from the plane.

He calls himself a “managed risk taker.” Yet, he’s probably the most calculating and intentional person you’ll ever have the pleasure to know. And he's a top-notch pilot.

I know. I’ve flown with him several times on the very same jet that crashed. His skill at flying this Beechcraft Premier 1A, described as one of the most complex flying machines in the air today, is remarkable. It wasn’t until I had a conversation with NASCAR driver Carl Edwards, who is also a pilot, that I learned that what I had mistaken for effortless piloting was actually the result of a massive amount of training and skill.

Nearly 25 years ago, with his automotive engineering business in Michigan enjoying great success and his racing businesses expanding in North Carolina, Roush recognized the need to be able to get from one place to another as quickly as possible. Using a private aircraft was the answer. He started out with a single-engine Cessna and a pilot. Eventually, after many hours in the air, Roush felt confident enough to take over the controls of the plane from the pilot. He was a quick study and was soon flying solo ... before he even had a pilot’s license.

Roush’s interest in World War II-era fighter aircraft began as a young boy. He often imagined himself flying a super fast "war bird.” As an adult and with his business interests becoming more and more lucrative, and his skills as a pilot having reached a point where he could easily have gotten a commercial pilot’s license, Roush began to seriously think about owning his own war bird. The multimillion-dollar airplanes are considered, among aviation enthusiasts, as nothing more than a rich man’s toy. And while Roush had always lived a frugal lifestyle, preferring to spend his earnings in support of his family and little on himself, it was the time in his life to spend on himself.

He became more and more attracted to the idea of owning his own war bird. He had to know how they were maintained, what the engines were like. He had to know everything about them. Through his network of pilot friends, Roush began to seriously look for a Mustang to buy. He bought his first P-51 in 1993 and spent nearly a year restoring it as Colonel Bud Anderson’s “Old Crow.” He eventually sold that plane to Scott’s Miracle-Gro CEO Jim Hagedorn, and then purchased another P-51 that he restored in “Gentleman Jim” livery. Five years after purchasing his first war bird, Roush purchased a second P-51 that he had restored as a second “Old Crow.”

It was Roush’s love of flying war birds that had him attending the EAA Airventure airshow in Oshkosh this week with his fellow P-51 owners. He would get up at the crack of dawn to take to the air for precision formation flying, which is the aeronautical equivalent of a group of friends riding motorcycles out on the open road. There was also time set aside to take special guests for rides in the small jump seat he had built into the second Old Crow. By the way, if you’re flying in the P-51, you’re wearing a parachute.

But Oshkosh isn’t all fun and games. In typical Roush fashion, there also has to be a business angle. Roush owns the only company in the world certified by the FAA to repair and maintain the distinctive engines in each P-51, the legendary Merlin Rolls Royce 60-degree V-12, a beast of an engine that produces over 1600 horsepower. Not only does his company maintain and rebuild the Merlin, there is ongoing development of the now 60 plus-year-old parts and systems and among his great pleasures was to talk shop with his fellow war bird owners.

The progression from flying propeller-driven aircraft to jets was a natural one for Roush, as it literally cut hours off of his flying time. His first jet was a Citation. Four years ago he purchased a Beechcraft Premier 1A, the two-engined, eight-seater capable of flying over 500 miles per hour that crash-landed on Tuesday evening.

High-flying, ultra-fast jets have become a necessity in the world of NASCAR racing. Nearly every driver and race team now owns their own planes and many drivers are also pilots.

“Without corporate aviation, we could not meet the demands of our lifestyle,” said Joey Meier. Meier, a veteran pilot who currently flies NASCAR young gun Brad Keselowski across the country, also acts as Keselowski’s spotter during races.

“The airlines simply could not meet our demands. It’s not an option. The airlines do a wonderful job of taking your family on a vacation.”

Meier declined to speculate on what may have caused Roush’s accident at Oshkosh.

“As a pilot you understand that there are circumstances that without being there, at the precise moment that the incident took place, that there is way too much speculation to even try to understand what happened,” said Meier. “Oshkosh being its own animal that if you’ve ever been there, there are multiple runways where multiple planes are on the same runway at any given time. They really throw the normal rules out that the public is used to seeing where one aircraft takes off at a time and the runway is clear and then another lands. That doesn’t exist at Oshkosh. You will land two or three planes on crossing runways or the same runway as takeoffs and landings.”

Despite having destroyed his airplane, Roush ended up with the best result possible, says Meier.

“What we know is that Jack did the best scenario he was dealt and the outcome was the best,” he said. “He could have hit another airplane. He could have crashed into the ground uncontrollably. Even though he may have crash landed, the fact is he still landed and was able to walk away.

“Any landing you can walk away from is a good one.”

NASCAR has had more than its share of aviation tragedies, from Alan Kulwicki and Davey Allison in 1993 to the 2004 Martinsville crash that took the lives of several members of the Hendrick family.

Aviation doesn’t like to be in the headlines for anything bad. But when an icon like Jack Roush is involved in an incident, it draws strong attention to aviation.

And the sport doesn’t exist without it.

Flying isn’t dangerous. Statistics reveal that its a lot less dangerous than driving. When you’re traveling along a highway at 65 mph, just four feet from another car, you have no idea of the skill set of the person driving the vehicle next to you, or even if they have a license or three DUI’s.

In aviation, the environment is much more controlled through training and certification.

And it was that training and the skills honed from thousands of hours in the air that allowed a managed risk taker to prevent what could have been a far worse event in Oshkosh on Monday.

Get well quick, Jack. I can’t wait to go flying with you again.

Bob Margolis is a veteran motorsports writer and television producer. Make sure to check out his blog Sledgehammerblog.com and follow him on Twitter