Owl Canyon Sailplane Crash Today?

[Karen]

Someone sent this to us from our old stomping grounds and didnt
mention any name.

www.thedenverchannel.com/news/27257239/detail.html

Photo looks like a Libelle from the rear.

My sister in Castlerock cant find out whom.

Michael

[[email protected]]

On Mar 20, 8:27*pm, Karen > wrote:
> Someone sent this to us from our old stomping grounds and didnt
> mention any name.
>
> www.thedenverchannel.com/news/27257239/detail.html
>
> Photo looks like a Libelle from the rear.
>
> My sister in Castlerock cant find out whom.
>
> Michael

Yes, it was a Libelle. Authorities haven't released the name pending
notification.

[Frank Whiteley]

Sunday, 3/20/11

Today, we lost our friend and colleague, Fred Herr. Fred was known
as
an outstanding pilot, with decades of glider experience, and was a
personal friend to all of us. Fred made his final flight in his
personal glider and died as a result of a landing accident.

Fred created the Owl Canyon Gliderport in 1973, which the non-profit
Colorado Soaring Association has operated since 1985. Fred's death is
doubly difficult for us as it not only cost us a long-time friend,
but
it is the first fatality among pilots operating from this field in
nearly 40 years of operation.

At present, we have no details beyond these facts. We offer our most
sincere condolences to his family. At this time we ask that everyone
respect their privacy during this very difficult moment.

The NTSB and FAA have been notified and are investigating. We will
release further details when we have them.

Merl Raisbeck
President, CSA

[Karen]

On Mar 21, 7:47*am, Frank Whiteley > wrote:
> Sunday, 3/20/11
>
> Today, we lost our friend and colleague, Fred Herr. *Fred was known
> as
> an outstanding pilot, with decades of glider experience, and was a
> personal friend to all of us. *Fred made his final flight in his
> personal glider and died as a result of a landing accident.
>
> Fred created the Owl Canyon Gliderport in 1973, which the non-profit
> Colorado Soaring Association has operated since 1985. *Fred's death is
> doubly difficult for us as it not only cost us a long-time friend,
> but
> it is the first fatality among pilots operating from this field in
> nearly 40 years of operation.
>
> At present, we have no details beyond these facts. *We offer our most
> sincere condolences to his family. *At this time we ask that everyone
> respect their privacy during this very difficult moment.
>
> The NTSB and FAA have been notified and are investigating. *We will
> release further details when we have them.
>
> Merl Raisbeck
> President, CSA

Merl & Frank,

Thank you and Amen.

In these days of shrinking soaring populations, disparent attitudes
about quality glider operations it is pleasant to think of the days
you got to know people like David Johnson, Mark Wild, Bruce Miller and
Fred Herr.

Keep their memories alive by we emulating what was important to them.


Michael

[Paul Remde]

Hi,

That is very sad news. I just met Fred for the first time at the Colorado
Performance Soaring Seminar a week ago. Nice man.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

Paul Remde

"Frank Whiteley" > wrote in message
...
> Sunday, 3/20/11
>
> Today, we lost our friend and colleague, Fred Herr. Fred was known
> as
> an outstanding pilot, with decades of glider experience, and was a
> personal friend to all of us. Fred made his final flight in his
> personal glider and died as a result of a landing accident.
>
> Fred created the Owl Canyon Gliderport in 1973, which the non-profit
> Colorado Soaring Association has operated since 1985. Fred's death is
> doubly difficult for us as it not only cost us a long-time friend,
> but
> it is the first fatality among pilots operating from this field in
> nearly 40 years of operation.
>
> At present, we have no details beyond these facts. We offer our most
> sincere condolences to his family. At this time we ask that everyone
> respect their privacy during this very difficult moment.
>
> The NTSB and FAA have been notified and are investigating. We will
> release further details when we have them.
>
> Merl Raisbeck
> President, CSA

[Tony[_5_]]

Awful news :( I met Fred ~5 years ago when he stopped through Ames,
IA for some reason. Really enjoyed talking to him and hearing some
great soaring stories.

[Nyal Williams[_2_]]

Sad to hear; our club just bought the 1-34 Over Easy that used to fly
there. First flights in the next couple of weeks.

At 17:22 21 March 2011, Tony wrote:
>Awful news :( I met Fred ~5 years ago when he stopped through Ames,
>IA for some reason. Really enjoyed talking to him and hearing some
>great soaring stories.
>

[zulu]

Before there was an Owl Canyon Gliderport, Fred founded Waverly West
Soaring Ranch which was located a few miles west of the current Owl
Canyon. (It was at Owl Canyon where I climbed to 35,000ft for my dia.
Alt. from an 8700ft local tow on 5 Feb. 1972.)
Fred can be found on both the Military and the History channel as an
interviewee recounting his role with the Luftwaffe in WW II. I turns
out that Fred was a sixteen year old BF109 pilot toward the end of the
war.
A number of years ago I introduced him to a former P-47 pilot and it
turned out that both of them had flown from the same airport in France
within about a week of each other.
Both Fred and I flew a number of XC flights to the northeast as far as
Scotts Bluff NE where we used Springer Jones (UB) – who went West a
few years ago - ranch strip as a turn point.
Fred was instrumental in introducing a number of kids to soaring as
well as flying balloons and motor gliders.
Oscar Echo, or what was fondly known as “Over Easy” was at one time
owned by Jim Munn (also deceased.) If memory serves, Jim set some
Colo. Altitude records in OE.
Fred was ever the gentleman and a friend to anyone to met him.

[Bob Whelan[_3_]]

Last spring while chatting with Fred, he mentioned that approximately 75% of
his >11,000 glider hours were instructional, and, that he had 860 "ticketed
glider pilots" to his instructional credits. I didn't think to ask him if he
knew the proportion of ab-initio to transition, because the 860 number left me
pretty much speechless.

Here's a link to his obituary:

http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011103240354

Regards,
Bob W.