It’s been a tough week for performance pilots. Chandy Clanton, three-time member of the United States Unlimited Aerobatic Team and several time EAA AirVenture Oshkosh performer, was killed Friday in her Edge 540 ahead of the Wingnuts Flying Circus in Tarkio, Mo. She was 36 years old. On Thursday, Reno Air Races pilot Gary Miller died when his SNJ named Mystical Powers crashed and burned near Kiowa, Colo. Clanton was scheduled to fly in the Missouri show and was also scheduled to fly this year at AirVenture.
Clanton’s aviation history included airshow performances and experience in aircraft ranging from the Piper Cub through the P-51 to the King Air and Lear Jet (Clanton earned a type rating in a Lear 24 with only 400 hours in her logbook, according to her Web site).Outside of aviation, Clanton served as president of Bank Iowa Corporation, which manages banks in 21 locations. She was also the mother of two young boys and a strong supporter of Mission Central for the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
