This was a tough week for aviators. Two legends in Minnesota aviation - who you probably won’t hear much about - passed away on the same day. Both were adventurers, devoted to preserving aviation history.
Tony Phillippi grew his contractor equipment company into a size capable of financing his passions. He pursued several - horses and cars among them - but the cornerstone was his love of classic airplanes. I didn’t have the privilege of knowing Tony well, having met him only recently through his chief pilot, but even a brief time in his hangar and his airplanes told me a lot. Tony left little to chance in a hobby that shows little mercy to those who take shortcuts or don’t hold safety and meticulous maintenance as their highest priority. But for Tony, aviation was as much about relationships as airplanes.
“These airplanes have enriched my life in ways that I couldn’t have imagined when I started down this path,” he said. “They’ve put me in touch with the most incredible people and provided experiences that, even looking back on them, are simply beyond belief.” AOPA Pilot - March 22, 2023
In the end, it was health - not risk or recklessness - that finally slowed him down.
David Schmitz’s passing was more public. One of the founders of the T6 Thunder Flight Team, he became known for formation flyover flights of WWII vintage aircraft at veteran events and memorials. His aviation story, however, actually began in rotorcraft.
As a “Hook” pilot (C-47 Chinook helicopter), he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism in the Vietnam War. Many years later, from his hometown of Spooner, Wisconsin, he dedicated himself to honoring veterans, offering flights in his T6, and later in a Huey helicopter he purchased for the purpose. For reasons unknown at this time, he and his chief mechanic partner in the Huey were killed when their general aviation Robinson R66 helicopter crashed near Airlake airport.
David’s death in particular is tough to accept. Like so many seasoned aviators lately, he gave much, carrying immense experience into the cockpit - only to have life cut short, perhaps by mechanical failure, perhaps by pilot error, or maybe sudden illness.
Aviation has a way of reminding us of life’s fragility. It can end for anyone at any time. Which is why we should live each day to the fullest and embrace adventure—just as these two men always did.
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