I received an email From Mike Finnegan yesterday stating that Jim Phillips of Oklahoma City has passed on 1-29-15.
Jim was an old Combat/Rat Race/ Stunt flier who used to go to contests with John Ashford. When I emailed him about John Ashford's death, he was unaware of it. Jim said that he had a bout with the flue last year, and ended up on an oxygen bottle full time. He told me that he couldn't fly, and the only time he went out was to occasionally go to the gun range and shoot with his son. Jim evidently had lung cancer.
Jim had a SIG Magnum that was finished in RED. It said "OU Sooners" on top, and "Texas Sucks" on the bottom of the wing. For some reason the airplane didn't score well in the Dallas contests! The airplane ended up in one of our Gluedobber contest raffles, and a Texan won it. It went back to Texas for a horrible fate, I'm sure!
Jim was a good guy, and I'm sad that he has passed.