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We have lost another Great soaring pilot and human being Rick Walters passed away yesterday after being involved in a bicycle accident here in Nevada
Tom VN
June 17th 15, 09:57 PM
On Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 1:41:55 PM UTC-7, wrote:
> We have lost another Great soaring pilot and human being Rick Walters passed away yesterday after being involved in a bicycle accident here in Nevada
My condolences to Rick's family. This is a great shock. Rick helped me and many others when we were all learning to fly cross country and contests. He was a great pilot but more than that he was one of the really good guys. Very sad, he will be missed. Tom Hubbard VN
Paul Remde
June 17th 15, 10:06 PM
So sad... Rick was a good guy.
Here's a nice photo of Rick at a soaring contest in Albert Lea, Minnesota,
flying an LS-10.
http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/contest/photos-2007/DSC_6609.jpg
Paul Remde
___________________________________
"Tom VN" wrote in message
...
On Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 1:41:55 PM UTC-7, wrote:
> We have lost another Great soaring pilot and human being Rick Walters
> passed away yesterday after being involved in a bicycle accident here in
> Nevada
My condolences to Rick's family. This is a great shock. Rick helped me and
many others when we were all learning to fly cross country and contests. He
was a great pilot but more than that he was one of the really good guys.
Very sad, he will be missed. Tom Hubbard VN
I was stunned to hear this. I first met Rick in 1992 in Hobbs and Littlefield. He had already established his credentials as a top pilot but was unfailingly polite and encouraging to those of us in the ranks. Over the years, he continued to provide a boost and a bit of encouragement here and there although we flew against each other infrequently. Finding his single-line email in my inbox the morning after my first (and only) daily win at the Cordele Std. Nats in 2008--"Welcome to the club"--was almost as surprising and delightful as the actual win itself. This from a many-time national champion and U.S. world team pilot. I can't recount his many honors and achievements. It's sufficient to say that whenever he showed up at a contest, he was a factor to win...and frequently did.
When he learned I was back in flying again last fall after losing a few years, Rick encouraged me to enter the Elmira nationals next month. The prospect of catching up with him there was a factor in my decision to do so. I didn't know him nearly as well as many but we'd swapped stories over the years about comebacks from medical adversities, his building business, whatever insight I might have on how to get the most out of the ASW 24 in preparation for his flying one at a nationals, and my daughters' progress.
My daughter Tina ran his wing in her first time really crewing for me at the Hobbs Open/Std. Nats in 2010 and got to know him. So when she wrote her college common application essay on that experience, I emailed him a copy, to which he responded flatteringly.
One of the things I liked about Rick was the evident diversity of his interests. This was no one-dimensional guy focused grimly on soaring to the exclusion of everything else. I wish I could say more about this multi-faceted human being but I will rely on his close friends to elaborate. I knew him well enough to consider him a friend but not well enough.
Life serves up surprises. We should be grateful for the joy in this world while taking nothing for granted. But when bad things happen to good people, it's particularly hard. Tonight I'm feeling a sense of loss not just for the untimely passing of this good man and the impact on his family and friends, but selfishly because I won't get to spend time with him in the future.
Rest in peace, Rick.
Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
U.S.A.
Ed Hollestelle[_2_]
June 18th 15, 12:31 AM
On Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 4:41:55 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> We have lost another Great soaring pilot and human being Rick Walters passed away yesterday after being involved in a bicycle accident here in Nevada
Very sad news indeed. Rick was a good friend and my competitor at many contests. He won the 18M pre-worlds in Germany in the LS-10.
Goodbye my friend and our thoughts are with your family. A1
Papa3[_2_]
June 18th 15, 12:47 AM
On Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 4:41:55 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> We have lost another Great soaring pilot and human being Rick Walters passed away yesterday after being involved in a bicycle accident here in Nevada
Wow. Heavy news.
Although I only flew a couple of contests with Rick, we corresponded from time to time on various topics. My favorite memory though was a day in the 15M nationals at Mifflin in 2007. We had a spectacular ridge day, and Rick decided to go for a 1000KM task. It probably wasn't the fastest choice, and he came up a couple of KM short, but he was grinning like a teenager after landing and the whole rest of the evening.
A couple of years later, he was the Project Manager during a rain day when a bunch of pilots got together to put stain on the newly-constructed Mifflin Soaring clubhouse. During that day, I got to find out more about the spectacular houses he built in his professional life. He seemed to love life and embraced everything he did.
A sad, sad day.
P3
gkemp
June 18th 15, 01:47 AM
What a good guy, our paths crossed many times over the years and he was a true gentleman.
Gary Kemp "NK"
Andy Blackburn[_3_]
June 18th 15, 02:50 AM
I am sad beyond words. A tragic loss of unique talent and extraordinary human being. We are all poorer today.
9B
Steve Koerner
June 18th 15, 04:23 AM
Rick astonished me once by describing specific detail about a good contest flight I'd had 25 years prior. How could a man who is himself so accomplished in the sport have possibly remembered such a thing? That he did, and shared it with me, says a lot about his character. I'm deeply saddened.
Tony[_5_]
June 18th 15, 05:25 AM
I met him for a pizza in Minden last year. We were both totally worn out after long drives. I had pulled John Cochrane's ASG-29 from Chicago two days earlier ahead of 18 meter nationals and he had been in SoCal picking up the Ventus that he eventually flew to 2nd. We still had a nice chat about soaring, the 13.5 meter class, my upcoming participation in sports class nationals, etc.
Since then I've also been on the receiving end of a few very nice notes like Chip mentioned. One during the PAGC after a very good showing on a difficult day and just a few weeks ago after Francois and I had a very good flight together in Cordele, Rick commented "Pair flying perfection. Well done."
As with so many others, we can only remember the excellent example that has been set in this sport and do our best to carry the torch. Good finish, Rick.
JJ Sinclair[_2_]
June 18th 15, 03:44 PM
Sad beyond words, Rick was one of the real good guys in this sport. I remember Rick as a kid flying his Standard Cirrus in the first Sports Class Nationals at Minden. He built our club house at Air Sailing and CD'd a regionals there. What a loss..............mark the next thermal for me old friend..
JJ Sinclair
gkemp
June 18th 15, 04:59 PM
From Paul Mayfield
First of all, an explanation.
I spoke with Ricks brother, Jeff Walters this morning.
Rick was riding his new titanium road bike at speed and something
caused a horrible accident.
It might have been a rock, a high-speed wobble, nobody knows.
Rick suffered severe head trauma and was airlifted to hospital.
At 4:05 am this morning he was taken off life support.
The accident took place near Hope Valley, a beautiful place.
gkemp
June 18th 15, 05:00 PM
From Paul Mayfield
First of all, an explanation.
I spoke with Ricks brother, Jeff Walters this morning.
Rick was riding his new titanium road bike at speed and something
caused a horrible accident.
It might have been a rock, a high-speed wobble, nobody knows.
Rick suffered severe head trauma and was airlifted to hospital.
At 4:05 am this morning he was taken off life support.
The accident took place near Hope Valley, a beautiful place.
gkemp
June 18th 15, 05:02 PM
From Paul Mayfield
First of all, an explanation.
I spoke with Ricks brother, Jeff Walters this morning.
Rick was riding his new titanium road bike at speed and something
caused a horrible accident.
It might have been a rock, a high-speed wobble, nobody knows.
Rick suffered severe head trauma and was airlifted to hospital.
At 4:05 am this morning he was taken off life support.
The accident took place near Hope Valley, a beautiful place.
On Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 4:41:55 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> We have lost another Great soaring pilot and human being Rick Walters passed away yesterday after being involved in a bicycle accident here in Nevada
How very sad , Rick was a gentleman and someone I greatly admired as a Glider pilot of very superior skills . My sincere condolences to his family and friends .
It has all been said already. He was a wonderful, talented human being and he will be greatly missed.
Bob
On Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 4:41:55 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> We have lost another Great soaring pilot and human being Rick Walters passed away yesterday after being involved in a bicycle accident here in Nevada
My Dad used to say that more people are killed on bicycles than in airplanes, don't know if that's true anymore?
Sorry to here, what a loss.
Glen
Roy Clark, \B6\
June 20th 15, 04:29 AM
On Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 1:41:55 PM UTC-7, wrote:
> We have lost another Great soaring pilot and human being Rick Walters passed away yesterday after being involved in a bicycle accident here in Nevada
This was particularly sad news as Patrick McLaughlin told me just after I arrived at the Region 8 Championships at Ephrata to assist Chris Klix in preparing to launch some of Arnold Skopil's ashes over the Plateau. Arnold was a pioneer in motorgliding who would fly from Hoquiam (near the Pacific coast) across Puget Sound, and then the Cascades for a weekend of soaring at Ephrata. He would commute home the same way.
Like Rick who I met through a mutual soaring friend, Arnold was a great soaring pilot and a greater human being, never hesitating to help anyone and never failing to give a special thanks to anyone who helped him.
For more about Arnold, go to the "2014/2015 December/January" issue of Towline, the Seattle Glider Council newsletter (http://www.seattleglidercouncil..org/).
When ever I learn of the Final Glide of another soaring pilot, I hear Ed Kilbourne's voice in my mind, singing "Cloudbase."(https://www.edkilbourne.com/)
Both Rick and Arnold are now at Cloudbase - where we will all go to rest at the end of the day. Godspeed to both.
On Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 1:41:55 PM UTC-7, wrote:
> We have lost another Great soaring pilot and human being Rick Walters passed away yesterday after being involved in a bicycle accident here in Nevada
What a terrible loss. I am sad beyond words too, and my condolences to his closest friends and family. "keep the glider in the air, and something good will happen." So long Rick.
glidergeek
June 24th 15, 11:57 PM
Any funeral or memorial dates?
nimbus[_2_]
June 25th 15, 05:15 AM
On Wednesday, June 24, 2015 at 3:57:55 PM UTC-7, Glidergeek wrote:
> Any funeral or memorial dates?
Rick Walters Memorial
Sponsor, Minden Soaring Club
The Hangar of Soaring NV
Saturday, July 11th, 11:00 AM
Gifts and Donations to the Junior Soaring Program, which will be up on Rick's Facebook page soon.
On Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 1:41:55 PM UTC-7, wrote:
> We have lost another Great soaring pilot and human being Rick Walters passed away yesterday after being involved in a bicycle accident here in Nevada
Whether you are able to attend or not, please send any photos, videos or tributes you would like to be included in Rick Walter's memorial slide show to:
by June 30th please.
Thanks.
On Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 1:41:55 PM UTC-7, wrote:
> We have lost another Great soaring pilot and human being Rick Walters passed away yesterday after being involved in a bicycle accident here in Nevada
A celebration of the life of soaring pilot Rick Walters is 11 a.m. July 11 at the Soaring NV Hangar at Minden Tahoe Airport.
Walters succumbed from injuries he sustained in a bicycle accident at Blue Lakes Road in Alpine County on June 17.
Anyone wishing to contribute photos or short videos to the celebration slideshow should email .
Family members have formed the Richard Fredrick Walters Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Donations may be sent to the Minden Soaring Club, P.O. Box 361, Minden, NV, 89423. The fund will be used to support the Junior Glider Pilots program.
SoaringNV is located at 2207 Bellanca St.
On Wednesday, June 24, 2015 at 3:57:55 PM UTC-7, Glidergeek wrote:
> Any funeral or memorial dates?
July 11th, 11 AM, SoaringNV hangar 2207 Bellanca St at the Minden Tahoe Airport.
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