Art Scholl

Above, Art Scholl and Aileron in October 1984 at the Point Mugu Air Show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While going through my photo albums this morning, I came across some photos I took at the 1984 Point Mugu Air Show.

One of them was of famed aerobatics pilot Art Scholl with his dog Aileron. I took the photo following his air show performance.

Scholl was killed off San Diego County on September 16, 1985 while doing some filming for the movie, Top Gun.

From the Los Angeles Times:

The air and sea search for famed stunt pilot Art Scholl was abandoned Tuesday as the Coast Guard concluded that he did not survive the crash of his camera-equipped aerobatic biplane while performing an upside-down spin to get footage for a movie off the coast of northern San Diego County. 

The 53-year-old Scholl flew in numerous films, including "The Great Waldo Pepper," "Baa Baa Black Sheep," "Blue Thunder" and "The Right Stuff." He was shooting for the Paramount Pictures film, "Top Gun," when his Pitts Special plunged into the Pacific Ocean five miles off Encinitas late Monday afternoon. 

On Monday, mechanic Kevin Kammer and stunt pilot Chuck Wentworth were following Scholl in another plane to watch for possible air traffic about 5:45 p.m., when they saw him go into an inverted spin at about 4,000 feet. 

Kammer said they suddenly heard Scholl radio, "I've got a problem here." 

His Pitts Special then dove into the ocean. 

Debris from the plane was found Monday evening, the Coast Guard said, but neither the wreckage nor the pilot was recovered, and by Tuesday morning, the hunt was called off. 

Scholl was well known throughout the country for his stunt flying at air shows, usually in his Chipmunk monoplane and frequently with his mixed-breed dog, Aileron, clinging to his shoulder as he performed loops and rolls.

I had seen Scholl perform at several Point Mugu Air Shows over the years since 1966.

For more on Art Scholl, go here.