Art Scholl

[remo]

I am trying to get some information about the late Art Scholl. WE sponsored Art at the 1985 Flint Bishop Airshow June 1-2. I am interested to know if that was the last public appearance he made before he died filming Top Gun.

[WLIU]

Good morning,

Since no one else has checked in here, I will offer the info that Art Scholl Aviation still appears to be in business. They even have a web site. I think that I recall that Mrs. Scholl was Judy, although I am not sure if she is still alive. Anyway, a telephone call and a nice inquiry about the history might get you the answer that you are looking for.

All of that said, the crash was in September, so it is unlikely that yours was the only show that Art Scholl flew that summer.

One of the coolest fly-bys I ever saw was Art Scholl with the canopy rolled back, standing up, with one foot on the wing walk outside the airplane, waving at the crowd. My understanding was that he originally did that end of performance fly by standing with both feet on the wing, but the FAA objected.

Regards,

Wes
Pitts S-2A
N78PS

[Hiperbiper]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-kHT...584263BE4378CD

"The Professor" was one of my many hero's at any airshow I went to...
I once watched Art Scholl and Harold Krier do a "Dualing Chippies" routine that left both my dad and myself agast.

In this era of 350hp Edge/Extra/MX/ect. 3F (Flip-Flop-Flyers) it's hard to remember the Grace and Style that made each Preformer different and unique in airshows of the past.

Bless you Professor.
Chris

[BF92]

I am trying to get some information about the late Art Scholl. WE sponsored Art at the 1985 Flint Bishop Airshow June 1-2. I am interested to know if that was the last public appearance he made before he died filming Top Gun.

Art Scholl died on September 16, 1986. I just returned from the International Council of Airshows (ICAS)convention in Las Vegas, and Judy Scholl was there to award the Art Scholl Memorial Showmanship Award to Dan Buchanan. She looked beautiful and in great health.

Danny

[Jim Hann]

Art Scholl died on September 16, 1986.

Danny

Danny, Top Gun was released in May of 1986 and WikiPedia lists his passing as 1985 also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Scholl

[mrhelio]

I was a student at Art Scholl School of Aerobatics in 1981. Art checked me out in the Decathlon, and then the Pitts S2-A that was the early one with AEIO-360 (200 HP) and open canopy. I later went to the S-2B and flew it for 50 hours.

No one did it better than Art, as an instructor he was dedicated to his students and made absolute sure you were confident in the airplane. His critique for "acro" was simple..."Remember safety, it is paramount to the success of your flight"

Cheers
Stephen

[RandolphB]

Art had reduced the number of Airshows he was flying to pursue Movie Work. I believe the last event he performed at was the Reno Air Races 1985, as it was only a few days before he was lost. The forum group at www.aafo.com had a thread on it some years ago, but I can't seem to find it. At one point, there was video on Youtube of the Reno '85 performance with notes saying it was his final show.

Judy sold the assests of Scholl Avaition about a year ago. She was planing on enjoying retirement. I had the honor of meeting her at a Rotary Club meeting at which I won an award in Art's name while attending San Berniardino Valley College's A & P program. Judy should be recognized as a legend in her own right, transitioning and operating the FBO after Art's passing during some rough times for the world of aviation.

Art's legacy is strong in the Southern California area. He was the Head of Department for the San Bernardino Valley College Aeronautics Program for 18 years. One of his students, Kevin Kammer, rose from the program to become Art's Chief Mechanic. He helped Judy as the Shop Manager during the tranistion years and later became the Powerplant Instructor at SBVC. This past year he filled the shoes of the retiring Head of Department and became the new Head himself.

Much of the FBO's equipment as sold to a fellow who recently became the General Program (A & P) instructor at SBVC. He is operating a flight school from the location.

Dr Thompson, who was Art's Chief Pilot still teaches the Ground School Program at SBVC. Upon reading the Preface to the textbook used at the course, I discovered that Dr Thompson was thanked by the books authors....! You know that's going to be an intense course when the teacher is called out for thanks in the textbook...

Everyone I have met that was part of his organization is an amazing individual. After discovering the program for A & P's while reading Art's wiki page, I enrolled there and earned my A & P last year. For me, it was a thrill to have to do class asignments on paperwork using the school's airplanes...only to find many logbook entrys from Art himself!

On a side note, today we adopted a puppy, and my wife suggested we name it after Art's dog...so he is now called "Aileron". I really need to track down a Chipmunk project to work on....

[flibmeister]

Congrats on the puppy, we got one this week, too-- ain't housebreaking fun?

Here's an Aileron story: I worked Oshkosh Tower in the years that Art performed there, and in those days the controllers bunked at the local Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge, as did most of the performers. Every year, the controller contingent would hold a tailgate party in the Hojo's parking lot, just typical Wisconsin fare, beer and brats.

So this particular year my wife and my folks (who are not aviation people) were visiting on the night of the tailgate party, and we were all standing around the keg in the parking lot when a car pulls into a parking spot down the way. The car door opens and a little dog leaps out and comes running over to us. My mom's a dog lover, she scoops him up as Art comes ambling down the lot after him. I'd never met Art before, but recognized him, so introduced myself and the family, and invited him to join the party. He says, "That dog gets me more free beer!", and stayed all evening, talking to everybody, couldn't have been nicer. Mom and dad paid far more attention to Aileron than Art, of course-- I'd introduced them to lots of people that night, but only one dog.

So, when they left Oshkosh, my folks went directly to Washington, D. C.-- and while they were at the Air and Space museum they watched the Imax movie "To Fly". Suddenly a dog comes on the screen, and my mom elbows dad and says, "That's Aileron!" Dad scoffs, but mom insists she recognizes the dog, so they sit through the credits-- and sure enough, there it is: Art Scholl and Aileron.

Mom's 82 now-- but she still likes to tell the story of how she once "picked up a movie star" in a motel parking lot...

[BF92]

Jim,

I stand corrected, Art did die in 1985. In 1987 I spent an hour in the home of Jim Gavin, who was a movie pilot and close friend of Art's. He explained to myself and Craig Hosking his theory on why Art had lost control of the airplane, due to a tall pedestal mounted to the front seat, with the camera up above the top wing. Jim thought the airflow had disturbed over the tail enough to cause the spin to be unrecoverable. Art is timeless, and decades from now people will still be talking about him.

Danny

[Jim Hann]

Danny, that is cool to hear. I heard that explanation someplace many years ago, long before I was professional aviator. I still remember seeing him (possibly at Reading 77) but I was too young to fully appreciate his flying.

Jim