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My father, Felix E. "Phil" Blum was a test pilot for 42 years at Douglas Aircraft, McDonnell Douglas, & Boeing retiring in 1999. He did all the test flights on the Weiland Craft which were conducted at the Douglas test facility at the Salton Sea, CA.The pilot sat in the front of the left pontoon. Co-pilot position at front of right pontoon was abandoned due to engines being underpowered and inability to get craft off the water. Dad also demanded that engines have cables to secure engines in case the engine support broke with propeller decapitating the pilot. It saved his life on the crash flight.From the film taken from the chase helicopter, the Weiland Craft was flying over the sea in ground effect when it pitched-up suddenly. May father stated he pulled the power hoping the nose would drop vs. stall at which time he'd go back to full power and hope for a smoother impact. It did work out as he had hoped. The crash was violent and abrupt. The left engine broke free and departed to the left of the pontoon. The pontoon also broke behind the cockpit. Dad was able to climb out onto the bow and was quickly retrieved by the rescue boat. He was rushed to hospital with a broken back. As the Weiland was made of plywood, the wreckage did not sink and was towed back to the Douglas dock and eventually scrapped. Douglas did no further research in wing in ground effect vehicles and Dad went on to test DC-8, 9, 10, MD-80 and his favorite program, MD-80 UHB. He was, The Man!James BlumLos Angeles
My father, Felix E. "Phil" Blum was a test pilot for 42 years at Douglas Aircraft, McDonnell Douglas, & Boeing retiring in 1999. He did all the test flights on the Weiland Craft which were conducted at the Douglas test facility at the Salton Sea, CA.
The pilot sat in the front of the left pontoon. Co-pilot position at front of right pontoon was abandoned due to engines being underpowered and inability to get craft off the water. Dad also demanded that engines have cables to secure engines in case the engine support broke with propeller decapitating the pilot. It saved his life on the crash flight.
From the film taken from the chase helicopter, the Weiland Craft was flying over the sea in ground effect when it pitched-up suddenly. May father stated he pulled the power hoping the nose would drop vs. stall at which time he'd go back to full power and hope for a smoother impact. It did work out as he had hoped. The crash was violent and abrupt. The left engine broke free and departed to the left of the pontoon. The pontoon also broke behind the cockpit. Dad was able to climb out onto the bow and was quickly retrieved by the rescue boat. He was rushed to hospital with a broken back. As the Weiland was made of plywood, the wreckage did not sink and was towed back to the Douglas dock and eventually scrapped. Douglas did no further research in wing in ground effect vehicles and Dad went on to test DC-8, 9, 10, MD-80 and his favorite program, MD-80 UHB. He was, The Man!
James Blum
Los Angeles
