navydaughter
Member
My research and interviews over the last year have turned up fabulous stories of Bug's larger-than life. In writing his biography, I have had the immense pleasure of pulling them all together. The following is one of so many, but it sure is entertaining. Hope you enjoy!
I know John via my wife's brother, Pete. Pete was John's friend and fellow Enduro go-cart racer in the late 70's and 80's. Pete was also Johns roommate sometime during that period.
I was and still am and airplane buff so John's history in flight was fascinating to me. My story is a small one but I'll give it a go.
John, Pete and a bunch of their racing friends had come to Monterey to race at Laguna Seca. Susan and I were living there at the time and were invited to the racers dinner at a Mexican restaurant that evening. When we arrived Bug was seated at the head of about a 12 person seating arrangement. Racers are a lively group so the banter and chit chat was running high. After the meal was over John took the story telling lead. As you can imagine, a larger than life persona like John had many many stories. The one I remember may not even have involved John directly but the way he told it has stuck in my mind all these years:
(now you have to realize that John was in full form by now, booming voice, telling this detailed story. People were coming over from other tables to hear the conclusion!).
By now practically the whole restaurant has surrounded our table and they all erupted in laughter. Someone finally asked, "What did the banging sound turn out to be?"
Johns says, " One of the doors on a step behind the cockpit had failed to lock and it was flapping and banging in the airstream!"
Epic story. I'm sure that I got all the details mixed up but all I know is that every time I think of John "Bug" Roach, I think of that story, the way he told it and the laughing joy it brought to all those lucky people.
Sincerely
Buzz
I know John via my wife's brother, Pete. Pete was John's friend and fellow Enduro go-cart racer in the late 70's and 80's. Pete was also Johns roommate sometime during that period.
I was and still am and airplane buff so John's history in flight was fascinating to me. My story is a small one but I'll give it a go.
John, Pete and a bunch of their racing friends had come to Monterey to race at Laguna Seca. Susan and I were living there at the time and were invited to the racers dinner at a Mexican restaurant that evening. When we arrived Bug was seated at the head of about a 12 person seating arrangement. Racers are a lively group so the banter and chit chat was running high. After the meal was over John took the story telling lead. As you can imagine, a larger than life persona like John had many many stories. The one I remember may not even have involved John directly but the way he told it has stuck in my mind all these years:
A group fo F9F's were flying out of SD (?)on a cross country training flight to some where in the south west, Arizona maybe? Anyway after takeoff one of the newbie pilots started to hear a banging sound coming from behind him. There were no sypmtoms of a failure other than the sound,,, Bang!...BANG!...Bang!. The young pilot started to panick and called a mayday. There was a commercial airfield on their flight path so the controllers vectored him onto a straight in downwind approach.
(now you have to realize that John was in full form by now, booming voice, telling this detailed story. People were coming over from other tables to hear the conclusion!).
The panicked young pilot who thought his engine was about to fail came in hot, forgetting to add any flaps. At the end of the runway was a commercial airliner waiting to do his takeoff. With way too much speed the young pilot carrens off the end of the runway and into the fresh soft mud left from a recent rain. The jet slows abruptly does a classic noseover, flips upside down on it's back and the pilot ejects straight down into the mud! Of course the seat doesn't go anywhere because the canopy is in the mud already. The commercial airline pilot who was right there watching the whole thing comes on the radio and says, " I don't f#$king believe it! he survived!"
By now practically the whole restaurant has surrounded our table and they all erupted in laughter. Someone finally asked, "What did the banging sound turn out to be?"
Johns says, " One of the doors on a step behind the cockpit had failed to lock and it was flapping and banging in the airstream!"
Epic story. I'm sure that I got all the details mixed up but all I know is that every time I think of John "Bug" Roach, I think of that story, the way he told it and the laughing joy it brought to all those lucky people.
Sincerely
Buzz