Found this searching for Aycock photos.

[Efrum]

Anyone seen this?
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... d=30090636&

[whoopiecat]

Not in my recent memory, no. Over the years Mr. Aycock has become quite the villian. Much ado has been made about the autopsy findings and what was in the man's system.
The thing is, no one will ever know what happened that day. He could have had a heart attack on that fourth pass for all we know.
I have a tough time with the Airey/Sarzo theory of struggles in the cockpit. Given what 'state of the art' would have been on photography, I just don't know how well one could even glimpse what was happening when you consider velocity, distance, sun glare on the windshield, strength of the lens, etc.
Perhaps it helps those who were there to cope with such an awful thing if they add a positive to it: ie, Randy grabbing the controls to keep the plane from hitting the bus broadside.
Something I try to keep in mind is that the Aycock family suffered a loss that day as well. Despite what has happened, it hurts for them too.
Those of his family have to live with the perception folks have of Andy: A cokehead who murdered an older woman and a talented young man on the cusp of superstardom.
I am suprised that after all these years, Wanda has neve stepped forward and spoke about the state of their relationship within that time, given that folks have the theory that at the last minute, Andy somehow saw Wanda standing in the bus doorway and lamented their flagging marriage, and in a desperate moment thought a murder-suicide would be fitting.
I do recall one of the good folks at TK relaying something Jerry Calhoun had said...that Andy wasn't the monster folks made him out to be...that Jerry lost a friend that day too.
I'll never understand why, given Randy & Rachels seperate feelings about flying, Andy would start performing acrobatics. It's never been stated by Don if Andy pulled any stunts while he and Jake went up.
I just cannot see either of them letting a woman in her late fifties get on a plane with a man at the controls who was overtired and amped up on cocaine.
My apologies in advance if any of what I've written hurts or angers anyone. No matter how you look at it, the events of that morning aren't easy to discuss.

Tom

[Paul Wolfe]

This man was a human being who deserves to be remembered for more than being the "pilot of the plane that Randy Rhoads was killed in."

His family lost him that day and I'm sure his parents were heartbroken at the loss.

Tom, I agree with your comments on the published stories of that day.

It was an accident. Even Rudy's book there are comments about watching Midway on the bus. Midway is loaded with kamikaze pilots. Rock stars are known to partake in crazy stunts. I believe they were goofing around, recreating the movie and got a little too close. I don't believe the drugs played a part.

Andrew Ayecock has been vilified by the Ozzy camp, but as tour manager, Sharon should be responsible for making sure those things don't happen. As I said, it was an accident. Everyone needs a bad guy, and unfortunately Mr. Ayecock is the target here.

[Efrum]

I agree Tom and Paul. The whole thing was simply tragic. Now that I'm older my hatred for Aycock has dulled into sadness, and the realization that many hearts were broken that morning, and we may never know exactly why.
My photo search also led me to this article which may partially explain why Wanda never came forward. She also lost a son, who was a musician, just 6 years later at the young age of 17. Andrew was his father.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/key ... h/recent/3

[Tito]

i also agree with you guys i dont get why andy has been villified for so many years...ever since i found out what was in his system a few years ago,i have felt he might have had a heart attack..but that would have shown up in the autopsy(i would think anyway).also i think the report says there were traces of blow in his system, that doesnt mean anything cuz he could have had it the day before or two days prior...but like you guys say it is sad cuz he was human and he died too!and man i had no idea he had a son and died 6 years after his dad!!how did he die by the way?and thank you for posting this info dude!!

[The Flying Dutchman]

Well..... if he would have flown 'normal' we wouldn't be here. I think it's fair to blame him for that unneeded air 'acrobatics'. But also taking a plane without permission of the onwer and he wasn't even allowed to fly! He really screwed up...... Considering it all it's even hard to call this an accident.....
Though I understand were you guys are comming from.

[RhoadsRockPhotographer]

Drive all night long and then take up a plane that you don't even have a valid license to fly.

Real Mensa candidate, that Aycock.

[Phineas J]

Drive all night long and then take up a plane that you don't even have a valid license to fly.

Real Mensa candidate, that Aycock.

Agreed. Sorry, no sadness for Andrew here. Flying an airplane on drugs in downright irresponsible to those on board, and to his family first and foremost. This guy had a sh1tty life at the time. Risk taking was okay for him then. Sorry, but his actions were wrong.

However, with that said. Everything that happened that day was a tragedy. A loss of life due to dumb decisions really sucks. I forgave Andrew years ago for taking my hero away from me. I still dont like it though. That will likely never change.

Forgiveness is tough.

[Livewire8195]

I'm not sure if any of you have seen the TV show "That Metal Show"; its a TV show dedicated to hard rock and metal music, more specifically from the 70's, 80's, and 90's. They have guests on the show that are in the music business.

On one of the episodes they had the singer Joe Lynn Turner (from Rainbow I believe) as the guest. During the show he was talking about how he was on tour with a band (cant remember at the moment) and they're tour bus driver was sick or something, so they had to get a replacement. They found someone that could drive the bus, Joe Lynn Turner didn't like the vibe he was getting from the guy. The guy turned out to be Aycock. He ended up not driving the bus for them, and years later he ended up being the guy flying the plane that killed Randy.

I just thought it was really interesting. I'll see if I can find the interview.

EDIT: Thread about it : viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4386

[Tito]

i thought it was ritchie blackmore that didnt let andy drive cuz of the bad vibe he got from him..cant remember who it was but i remember reading that too

[Ritchie]

[quote="Livewire8195"]I'm not sure if any of you have seen the TV show "That Metal Show"; its a TV show dedicated to hard rock and metal music, more specifically from the 70's, 80's, and 90's. They have guests on the show that are in the music business.

On one of the episodes they had the singer Joe Lynn Turner (from Rainbow I believe) as the guest. During the show he was talking about how he was on tour with a band (cant remember at the moment) and they're tour bus driver was sick or something, so they had to get a replacement. They found someone that could drive the bus, Joe Lynn Turner didn't like the vibe he was getting from the guy. The guy turned out to be Aycock. He ended up not driving the bus for them, and years later he ended up being the guy flying the plane that killed Randy.

I just thought it was really interesting. I'll see if I can find the interview.[/quote



Check it out here > viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4386

[Livewire8195]

Oh cool, I'll add the link to my post.

[Efrum]

I see everyone's side of this. I posted today because I just found out about Aycock's children, one of which was eleven at the time (not sure about the age of the other two) lost their dad the same time we lost our hero. Just horrible. Stupid. Senseless. Whether we realize it or not, the tears we shed upon hearing the horrible news was shared by folks in the "enemies" family as well as the Rhoads' and the Youngbloods. It's just sad. That being said, God bless everyone devastated by this tragedy, (That includes us Randy fanatics) and God bless our beloved Randy.

[whoopiecat]

But was Andy high? If he was, wouldn't there be folks somewhere lamenting the passing of Don Airey?
Like I said before, I cannot comprehend Don nor Jake allowing an older woman onto a plane with someone who is high at the controls. The rest of them were rock n' rollers, being rebellious by using a plane without permission.
How do we know Jake and Don didn't coerce Andy into taking the plane out? We don't.
A multitude of scenarios could have transpired. We are only reacting to what we were told.
I'm not looking to get morbid here, but this is something I'd like to find out from Don, whether from the book he's supposedly penning, or from his accounts in the doc.
Did he and Jake know Andy was high when they let Randy and Rachel get on that plane? Did the two of them get high with Andy, go for a spin, then talk their friends into it? Did Andy see no way out of his marriage? Did Randy see no way out of his contract? Did Rachel experience a medical emergency and Andy panicked?
It is a shame and a sin what happened. I wasn't looking for this to devolve into a hatefest on Andy, I was just simply stating that no matter how people perceive Andy, he left folks behind who hurt too, and their grief must be worse in a way, as they have to go through life thinking Andy was responsible for shattering the lives of two other families when no one really will ever know what went down that morning.

[sik_kreations]

it does suck, but pilots license expired or not.. whos knows the situation... the guys could have been hey look a plane, if only i could fly... and andrew could have been i have a pilots license... u should take us up man!..... okay ( who around here has driven on an expired license? does it mean u dont know how to drive cuz ur license is expired? and as far as coke.. who else was coked out that day? or if he even was that day or not. its shitty the way it all went down. but eveyone had a choice to go on or not, it just happend to be a "freak accident" its probably too touchy a subject.