R.I.P. Gordon Baxter

[Dave S]

I came across his obituary today while reading the Houston Chronicle at
breakfast. For those who knew of him, his health had been poor for many
years, and his passing was inevitable. His columns were a regular read
when I subscribed to Flying in the early 80's

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3225894

OBITUARIES
Baxter, 81, radio host, columnist
By LYNWOOD ABRAM
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Gordon "Bax" Baxter, radio personality, newspaper columnist, pilot and
writer whose unorthodox views and madcap style often got him fired, died
of respiratory problems Saturday in a Beaumont hospital. He was 81.

In a 50-year career, Baxter bounced from station to station in Southeast
Texas, but his fans seldom deserted him......

[john smith]

Thanks for posting the announcement Dave.
The aviation community is deeply saddened by the Baxter family's loss.

[Peter Duniho]

"Dave S" > wrote in message
ink.net...
>I came across his obituary today while reading the Houston Chronicle at
>breakfast.

Thanks. That's a bummer, but of course it happens to us all, eventually.

Lots of writers have been compared to Bax, some even favorably. But I've
yet to see anyone who genuinely comes even close to achieving his warmth,
truthfulness, and art. Without exception, when I see someone say "you write
as well as Bax", what they really have said is "you've done an okay job
trying to emulate what came to Bax naturally".

IMHO, anyone who thinks there's a writer today that comes close to being on
par with Gordon Baxter just has no idea what good writing really is. They
are probably the same people who think Hollywood consistently turns out
great movies.

He's the only aviation personality I ever thought that I'd really enjoy
meeting in person. I never believed I'd ever have the chance, but now the
question is resolved for certain. We'll probably never see anyone quite
like him again, which is a pity.

Pete

[Maule Driver]

Indeed, may he rest in peace. He has been missed here for some time and
he'll never be forgotten by this pilot and avid reader of his Flying column.

I will be pulling out a random selection of Flying mags this evening and
refreshing the memories.


Dave S wrote:
> I came across his obituary today while reading the Houston Chronicle at
> breakfast. For those who knew of him, his health had been poor for many
> years, and his passing was inevitable. His columns were a regular read
> when I subscribed to Flying in the early 80's
>
> http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3225894
>
> OBITUARIES
> Baxter, 81, radio host, columnist
> By LYNWOOD ABRAM
> Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
>
> Gordon "Bax" Baxter, radio personality, newspaper columnist, pilot and
> writer whose unorthodox views and madcap style often got him fired, died
> of respiratory problems Saturday in a Beaumont hospital. He was 81.
>
> In a 50-year career, Baxter bounced from station to station in Southeast
> Texas, but his fans seldom deserted him......
>

[nrp]

Surely Len Morgan is in that category too. His description of his
first revenue flight as Captain with minimal experience, a full load on
a hot day bound for Honolulu from Dallas in Braniff's only 747 is a
classic.

[john smith]

Maule Driver wrote:
> Indeed, may he rest in peace. He has been missed here for some time and
> he'll never be forgotten by this pilot and avid reader of his Flying
> column.
> I will be pulling out a random selection of Flying mags this evening and
> refreshing the memories.

IMO... the most moving piece Bax wrote was the one explaining his
decision to give up flying solo.

[tom418]

It's another loss for the aviation community.
I discovered his "Bax Seat" column by accident, when I was looking for Frank
Kingston Smith's "Weekend Pilot" , which took up the back page of FLYING
back in 1970, when I started to fly.

Add his name to Robert Blodget, Len Morgan, and a few others.
"Dave S" > wrote in message
ink.net...
> I came across his obituary today while reading the Houston Chronicle at
> breakfast. For those who knew of him, his health had been poor for many
> years, and his passing was inevitable. His columns were a regular read
> when I subscribed to Flying in the early 80's
>
> http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3225894
>
> OBITUARIES
> Baxter, 81, radio host, columnist
> By LYNWOOD ABRAM
> Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
>
> Gordon "Bax" Baxter, radio personality, newspaper columnist, pilot and
> writer whose unorthodox views and madcap style often got him fired, died
> of respiratory problems Saturday in a Beaumont hospital. He was 81.
>
> In a 50-year career, Baxter bounced from station to station in Southeast
> Texas, but his fans seldom deserted him......
>

[Bob Fry]

>>>>> "nrp" == nrp > writes:

nrp> Surely Len Morgan is in that category too. His description
nrp> of his first revenue flight as Captain with minimal
nrp> experience, a full load on a hot day bound for Honolulu from
nrp> Dallas in Braniff's only 747 is a classic.

Len Morgan passed away in March. Another great pilot and writer lost,
and I'm not seeing their replacements....

[[email protected]]

I'll never be Bax, but it's a great goal to keep in mind. I met him at
Oshkosh '95 when I was 14 years old. Back then, the idea of stringing
words together frightened me.

I still have a tape of the forum he led. It's in one of these desk
drawers, somewhere.. I've since got my ticket, worked with an air show
team, and moved on after the disaster I never dreamed would happen. I'm
now writing sports for a newspaper in a hole-in-the-wall town - One
day, I hope they'll have a slot open at Flying. :-D <wishful thinking>

I bet there's quite the reunion going on somewhere.. Len, Bax, Ernie
Gann.. Oh, to be a fly on the wall.

We'll miss him.

[Dan Luke]

"Dave S" wrote:
>I came across his obituary today while reading the Houston Chronicle at
>breakfast.

Sad to hear. I miss him a lot.

> his passing was inevitable.

That goes for all of us.
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

[john smith]

Bob Fry wrote:
> Len Morgan passed away in March. Another great pilot and writer lost,
> and I'm not seeing their replacements....

I have to disagree, Bob.
I used to ask that question back in the 1980's when those guys were all
in their 60's and 70's.
I think Lane is a very good/great replacement for Bax.
Bax had a great sense of humor in his writing that I have not yet seen
in Lane's articles.
She is not Bax, but she covers the same beat as Bax did (human
interest,people, places,etc).

[Tony]

Would you consider Ernest Gann in that group?

[Peter Duniho]

"john smith" > wrote in message
. ..
> I think Lane is a very good/great replacement for Bax.

If you mean she fills the same space in the magazine, yes.

> Bax had a great sense of humor in his writing that I have not yet seen in
> Lane's articles.

Clearly you agree that Lane is not the equal of Bax.

> She is not Bax, but she covers the same beat as Bax did (human
> interest,people, places,etc).

Covering the same beat isn't the same as filling one's shoes.

Pete

[RST Engineering]

In 1994, this hotshot young writer was invited to an "aviation author's"
party at the Flying house at Oshkosh. Figuring I'd go and wipe up the
opposition, I sat around humbled in the living room listening to Bax deliver
wave after wave of advice to those of us who couldn't hold a candle to him.

Talk about one of a kind...he could bring you from tears to howling laughter
within the space of a minute.

If I can, in any way, bring one PERCENT of how you brought aviation to us
all, I will have honored your memory in the fullest, sir.

In the immortal words of CapCom during the first launch, "God SPEED, Gordon
Baxter, God SPEED."

Jim

[Jay Beckman]

"Peter Duniho" > wrote in message
...
> "john smith" > wrote in message
> . ..
>> I think Lane is a very good/great replacement for Bax.
>
> If you mean she fills the same space in the magazine, yes.
>
>> Bax had a great sense of humor in his writing that I have not yet seen in
>> Lane's articles.
>
> Clearly you agree that Lane is not the equal of Bax.
>
>> She is not Bax, but she covers the same beat as Bax did (human
>> interest,people, places,etc).
>
> Covering the same beat isn't the same as filling one's shoes.
>
> Pete
>

Pete,

I don't think anyone is saying she is expected to fill anyone's shoes.

Her "charge" is to write about flying in a way that is the polar opposite of
say, Peter Garrison.

While Garrison writes from a numbers perspective, Lane Wallace writes from a
more personal, emotional place and in doing so, she is more akin to Gordon
Baxter's style as regards the "romance" of flight. Bax, however, had the
advantage of knowing some of the giants of aviation and had a few more years
worth of experiences to draw from.

Ms. Wallace will never replace Gordon Baxter, but I don't want her to. For
many years, I read how Bax felt about flying and it helped "set the hook" on
my wanting to become a pilot. Now, Lane Wallace is doing a great job at
keeping the hook firmly set.

Times change and people change, but the focus has (IMO) remained constant:
reinforce to the reader why flying is wonderful and pilots are special
people. Bax did it his way and Lane is doing a fine job of it too.

Regards,

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
Chandler, AZ

[Peter Duniho]

"Jay Beckman" > wrote in message
news:_Z8se.1136$eV4.769@fed1read01...
> I don't think anyone is saying she is expected to fill anyone's shoes.

Sure seems like that, in context of my original statements. Why bother
replying otherwise? I said Bax was a unique writer, unlikely to be matched
for a long time, if ever. Then someone ELSE brought up Lane Wallace's name.

How did her name get into this thread at all, if not as a suggestion of
someone who could match Bax's ability?

> [...] Bax, however, had the advantage of knowing some of the giants of
> aviation and had a few more years worth of experiences to draw from.

Bax had a way with words that both predated, and did not depend on, his
personal contacts and advanced years.

There are lots of qualified writers, in aviation and elsewhere. No one is
saying that Lane Wallace isn't one of them. However, one can count on one
hand, with fingers left over, the number who are in the same class with Bax.
That was the sole point of my post.

Lane Wallace is not one of those in the same class with Bax, but my original
post never even mentioned her, not was it the point to call out all the
aviation writers who do NOT meet the bar Bax set long ago. Still, in the
context of my post, whether or not she is qualified to meet the standards of
Flying Magazine's editorial content is irrelevant, and has not been
questioned in any case.

I suppose it's just the nature of Usenet that a post praising someone
recently deceased could degenerate into defensiveness and argumentiveness.
But frankly, I think it's pretty dumb for that to have happened. What is it
about Usenet that my comments could not have simply be left to stand as they
were?

Pete

[Dave Butler]

john smith wrote:
> Maule Driver wrote:
>
>> Indeed, may he rest in peace. He has been missed here for some time
>> and he'll never be forgotten by this pilot and avid reader of his
>> Flying column.
>> I will be pulling out a random selection of Flying mags this evening
>> and refreshing the memories.

Good idea.

>
>
> IMO... the most moving piece Bax wrote was the one explaining his
> decision to give up flying solo.

Yep, I remember that one. You guys have expressed your appreciation for Bax so
eloquently that you leave me with nothing except: me too. He is missed.

[tom418]

I would. Along with Robert Parke, and Archie Trammel
"Tony" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Would you consider Ernest Gann in that group?
>

[jmk]

Just a note... Weekend Pilot was one of Smith's first. His last
"Weekend Wings" is still the best, and the one I always recommend to
folks wanting ot know what GA is all about.

BTW, I agree completely about reading Baxter's article about giving up
flying solo... You could just feel the pain in the story.

[Matt Barrow]

"Dave S" > wrote in message
ink.net...
> I came across his obituary today while reading the Houston Chronicle at
> breakfast. For those who knew of him, his health had been poor for many
> years, and his passing was inevitable. His columns were a regular read
> when I subscribed to Flying in the early 80's
>
> http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3225894
>
> OBITUARIES
> Baxter, 81, radio host, columnist
> By LYNWOOD ABRAM
> Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
>
> Gordon "Bax" Baxter, radio personality, newspaper columnist, pilot and
> writer whose unorthodox views and madcap style often got him fired, died
> of respiratory problems Saturday in a Beaumont hospital. He was 81.
>
> In a 50-year career, Baxter bounced from station to station in Southeast
> Texas, but his fans seldom deserted him......

When Bax left, they broke the mould. Many will try to emulate him, but none
will succeed.

The world is a lesser place without him.


Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO