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Paul Tomblin
August 16th 07, 08:49 PM
Back in May, I finally got a chance to ride along in a friend's float
plane, and he even let me do a couple of take-offs and landings. I was
hoping that since his plane partner had lost his medical, I could convince
him to take me on as a plane partner.

Today, that plane crashed, and my friend and probably his plane partner
are both dead.

--
Paul Tomblin > http://blog.xcski.com/
"The ideals we uphold during a crisis define who we are." - Bruce Scheier
http://www.schneier.com/crypto-gram-0109.html

Montblack
August 16th 07, 08:58 PM
("Paul Tomblin" wrote)
> Back in May, I finally got a chance to ride along in a friend's float
> plane, and he even let me do a couple of take-offs and landings.


Sorry to hear of your loss.


Paul-Mont

Kevin Clarke
August 16th 07, 08:58 PM
Jeez, I'm so sorry, that is terrible news.

KC


Paul Tomblin wrote:
> Back in May, I finally got a chance to ride along in a friend's float
> plane, and he even let me do a couple of take-offs and landings. I was
> hoping that since his plane partner had lost his medical, I could convince
> him to take me on as a plane partner.
>
> Today, that plane crashed, and my friend and probably his plane partner
> are both dead.
>
>

August 16th 07, 08:59 PM
On Aug 16, 1:49 pm, (Paul Tomblin) wrote:
> Back in May, I finally got a chance to ride along in a friend's float
> plane, and he even let me do a couple of take-offs and landings. I was
> hoping that since his plane partner had lost his medical, I could convince
> him to take me on as a plane partner.
>
> Today, that plane crashed, and my friend and probably his plane partner
> are both dead.
>
> --
> Paul Tomblin /
> "The ideals we uphold during a crisis define who we are." - Bruce Scheierhttp://www.schneier.com/crypto-gram-0109.html

Paul,

Very sorry to hear about your friend. Its always sad when this
happens, and it always makes me more cautious as a pilot. I lost two
co-workers in a Lancair landing accident back in 2002, and I liked
both of them a lot.

Any idea what happened to cause this accident?

Dean W.
AeroLEDs LLC
www.aeroleds.com

Morgans[_2_]
August 16th 07, 09:18 PM
"Paul Tomblin" > wrote
>
> Today, that plane crashed, and my friend and probably his plane partner
> are both dead.

That stinks, big time.

Any family left behind? Send our condolences, if so.

Hang in there. The risks we take, to do what we love...
--
Jim in NC

Dan Luke[_2_]
August 16th 07, 10:25 PM
"Paul Tomblin" wrote:

> Today, that plane crashed, and my friend and probably his plane partner
> are both dead.

That's a shame. Sorry, Paul.

--
Dan
T-182T at BFM

RomeoMike
August 17th 07, 12:38 AM
Paul Tomblin wrote:
> Back in May, I finally got a chance to ride along in a friend's float
> plane, and he even let me do a couple of take-offs and landings. I was
> hoping that since his plane partner had lost his medical, I could convince
> him to take me on as a plane partner.
>
> Today, that plane crashed, and my friend and probably his plane partner
> are both dead.
>
Very, very sad. Glad you weren't along when whatever happened happened.

Paul[_1_]
August 17th 07, 02:52 AM
Very sorry Paul,

Paul

"Paul Tomblin" > a écrit dans le message de news:
...
> Back in May, I finally got a chance to ride along in a friend's float
> plane, and he even let me do a couple of take-offs and landings. I was
> hoping that since his plane partner had lost his medical, I could convince
> him to take me on as a plane partner.
>
> Today, that plane crashed, and my friend and probably his plane partner
> are both dead.
>
> --
> Paul Tomblin > http://blog.xcski.com/
> "The ideals we uphold during a crisis define who we are." - Bruce Scheier
> http://www.schneier.com/crypto-gram-0109.html

Jay Honeck
August 17th 07, 04:08 AM
> Today, that plane crashed, and my friend and probably his plane partner
> are both dead.

Dang, that sucks. Sorry to hear it.

As info becomes available, please share it here. All we can do to
honor their memory is to learn from their tragedy.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

tony roberts
August 17th 07, 05:12 AM
Hi Paul

Been there a few times this year.
We can never quite accept the loss of a friend, particularly when it is
due to this passion of ours.
I was at the service for a good friend a couple of weeks ago, and I was
attempting to speak to his widow without getting too emotional - and I
failed. And this strong lady said to me, " Would it have been better if
he had died in a nursing home"?

So - consider this - he died doing what he loved.
you can't say that about too many people.

Tony


--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Cessna 172H C-GICE



In article >,
(Paul Tomblin) wrote:

> Back in May, I finally got a chance to ride along in a friend's float
> plane, and he even let me do a couple of take-offs and landings. I was
> hoping that since his plane partner had lost his medical, I could convince
> him to take me on as a plane partner.
>
> Today, that plane crashed, and my friend and probably his plane partner
> are both dead.

Russ and/or Martha Oppenheim
August 17th 07, 07:10 AM
That is so hard! I've lost a couple of friends that way. Sincere
condolences.
Martha

"Paul Tomblin" > wrote in message
...
> Back in May, I finally got a chance to ride along in a friend's float
> plane, and he even let me do a couple of take-offs and landings. I was
> hoping that since his plane partner had lost his medical, I could convince
> him to take me on as a plane partner.
>
> Today, that plane crashed, and my friend and probably his plane partner
> are both dead.
>
> --
> Paul Tomblin > http://blog.xcski.com/
> "The ideals we uphold during a crisis define who we are." - Bruce Scheier
> http://www.schneier.com/crypto-gram-0109.html

Paul Tomblin
August 17th 07, 02:36 PM
In a previous article, Jay Honeck > said:
>> Today, that plane crashed, and my friend and probably his plane partner
>> are both dead.
>
>Dang, that sucks. Sorry to hear it.
>
>As info becomes available, please share it here. All we can do to
>honor their memory is to learn from their tragedy.

http://www.rnews.com/Story_2004.cfm?ID=52285&rnews_story_type=18&category=10

They were leaving on a fishing trip to Quebec.

Witnesses say they took off to the north as usual, but weren't gaining
altitude very quickly, turned as if to land to the south, but didn't land,
went past the end of the bay, and crashed not far from the end of the bay.
There are some hills around there.

I wonder if they were overloaded or not developing full power, returned
for a landing, and then couldn't land because a boat or kayak got in their
way, and then did a departure stall trying to avoid the hills.

I've flown with Mike and he seemed like he did a thorough pre-flight every
time, and was a good and careful pilot. I've never flown with Dave. Dave
lost his medical and they bought a Taylorcraft so that Dave could fly
under light sport rules. They crashed that last year (NTSB says
"unexplained loss of power, and slightly over gross"), and bought a Legend
Cub as well as keeping the Cessna.

--
Paul Tomblin > http://blog.xcski.com/
Whenever someone says something exceedingly stupid, I feel it my duty to
educate them. Plus, everyone else leaves and the meeting becomes de
facto over. -- Rob Russell understands meetings

Peter Dohm
August 17th 07, 09:36 PM
"Paul Tomblin" > wrote in message
...
> Back in May, I finally got a chance to ride along in a friend's float
> plane, and he even let me do a couple of take-offs and landings. I was
> hoping that since his plane partner had lost his medical, I could convince
> him to take me on as a plane partner.
>
> Today, that plane crashed, and my friend and probably his plane partner
> are both dead.
>
It is much better for each of us to "go out with a bang" doing something
which we enjoy. I have watched several slowly pine away, despite all of the
so-called modern miracles, and that really is much worse. Still, it is a
real shame that your friend was along on that flight--and apparently long
before what should have been his time.

Peter

Dudley Henriques[_2_]
August 18th 07, 01:19 AM
Peter Dohm wrote:
> "Paul Tomblin" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Back in May, I finally got a chance to ride along in a friend's float
>> plane, and he even let me do a couple of take-offs and landings. I was
>> hoping that since his plane partner had lost his medical, I could convince
>> him to take me on as a plane partner.
>>
>> Today, that plane crashed, and my friend and probably his plane partner
>> are both dead.
>>
> It is much better for each of us to "go out with a bang" doing something
> which we enjoy. I have watched several slowly pine away, despite all of the
> so-called modern miracles, and that really is much worse. Still, it is a
> real shame that your friend was along on that flight--and apparently long
> before what should have been his time.
>
> Peter
>
>
Naturally, being around the demonstration community most of my life,
I've seen my share of death and managed to avoid it personally,
sometimes by a slim margin.

I've been in conversations like this one many times and in fact have
commented within this context on occasion when talking with other air
show pilots when the subject of dying in a crash has come up.
I've always said the same thing at those times and I'll relate it here FWIW;
My answer was simple and to the point. What I said was that if I drove
one into the ground someday, I sure hoped that my friends didn't all
gather round and say I died doing something I loved to do. I'd MUCH
rather have had them gather round and say that knowing me like they did,
they would take even money that whatever happened, I was fighting it all
the way down trying to save it.

This is just a small point on a personal slant that I've made above, but
FWIW, I think many pilots who don't make it for one reason or another
might rest easier if their friends thought of them this way. I know in
the airshow community, this is how a lot of us feel.

--
Dudley Henriques

August 18th 07, 05:14 AM
On Aug 17, 6:19 pm, Dudley Henriques > wrote:
> Peter Dohm wrote:
> > "Paul Tomblin" > wrote in message
> ...
> >> Back in May, I finally got a chance to ride along in a friend's float
> >> plane, and he even let me do a couple of take-offs and landings. I was
> >> hoping that since his plane partner had lost his medical, I could convince
> >> him to take me on as a plane partner.
>
> >> Today, that plane crashed, and my friend and probably his plane partner
> >> are both dead.
>
> > It is much better for each of us to "go out with a bang" doing something
> > which we enjoy. I have watched several slowly pine away, despite all of the
> > so-called modern miracles, and that really is much worse. Still, it is a
> > real shame that your friend was along on that flight--and apparently long
> > before what should have been his time.
>
> > Peter
>
> Naturally, being around the demonstration community most of my life,
> I've seen my share of death and managed to avoid it personally,
> sometimes by a slim margin.
>
> I've been in conversations like this one many times and in fact have
> commented within this context on occasion when talking with other air
> show pilots when the subject of dying in a crash has come up.
> I've always said the same thing at those times and I'll relate it here FWIW;
> My answer was simple and to the point. What I said was that if I drove
> one into the ground someday, I sure hoped that my friends didn't all
> gather round and say I died doing something I loved to do. I'd MUCH
> rather have had them gather round and say that knowing me like they did,
> they would take even money that whatever happened, I was fighting it all
> the way down trying to save it.
>
> This is just a small point on a personal slant that I've made above, but
> FWIW, I think many pilots who don't make it for one reason or another
> might rest easier if their friends thought of them this way. I know in
> the airshow community, this is how a lot of us feel.
>
> --
> Dudley Henriques- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I've never cared for the "went out doing what they loved" line
either. Dying sucks no matter how you look at it or how it happens,
whether you smash into the ground in a plane, or fade away in a
hospital bed. Every person that dies leaves behind people who liked
them, loved them, and even a few that hated them. Its better to throw
a wake and celebrate the life that they had, and openly state that you
will miss them, than to try to somehow justify what happened. Just
admit it sucks, face the pain of losing them, and celebrate the fact
that you were fortunate enough to be part of their life.

I for one hope that I never ever die in a plane crash. I love flying
too much, and would hate to die from something that gives me so much
pleasure. I would also hate for my wife to be able to say "see, I
knew his flying was dangerous and I knew it would kill him someday".
Of course, I don't want to die from cancer, heart attack, auto
accident, viral infection, gunshot, stabbing or "old age".
Unfortunately, none of us are immortal.

I lost two co-workers in a plane crash, and my boss was lucky enough
to survive it with serious injuries. I mourned the two who died (both
great guys) and told my boss that I was glad that he was still alive
(and he was damned lucky to be alive). When his partners tried to pin
the blame on him (unjustified, he wasn't responsible for the crash) I
supported him and even testified on his behalf in court when he sued
his partners for ousting him from the company just two weeks after the
crash. The whole thing was ugly, and I left that company because of
how they treated him (and how they treated me). I never once thought
that the guys who died did so doing what they loved, that simply
didn't matter. They were dead, their families were suffering, and
there was no way to ever change that. Nobody could do anything about
it, and even trying to lay blame where it didn't belong wasn't going
to change it.

I think that the best we can do for fatal airplane accidents is to
study them to learn from the mistakes (if any) that the pilot(s) made
so that we don't repeat them. If we can do that and succeed, then at
least they helped prevent someone else from repeating that accident.
Learning from personal experience how to avoid fatal accidents isn't
very practical.

Dean W
AeroLEDs LLC
www.aeroleds.com

Dudley Henriques[_2_]
August 18th 07, 05:57 AM
wrote:
> On Aug 17, 6:19 pm, Dudley Henriques > wrote:
>> Peter Dohm wrote:
>>> "Paul Tomblin" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> Back in May, I finally got a chance to ride along in a friend's float
>>>> plane, and he even let me do a couple of take-offs and landings. I was
>>>> hoping that since his plane partner had lost his medical, I could convince
>>>> him to take me on as a plane partner.
>>>> Today, that plane crashed, and my friend and probably his plane partner
>>>> are both dead.
>>> It is much better for each of us to "go out with a bang" doing something
>>> which we enjoy. I have watched several slowly pine away, despite all of the
>>> so-called modern miracles, and that really is much worse. Still, it is a
>>> real shame that your friend was along on that flight--and apparently long
>>> before what should have been his time.
>>> Peter
>> Naturally, being around the demonstration community most of my life,
>> I've seen my share of death and managed to avoid it personally,
>> sometimes by a slim margin.
>>
>> I've been in conversations like this one many times and in fact have
>> commented within this context on occasion when talking with other air
>> show pilots when the subject of dying in a crash has come up.
>> I've always said the same thing at those times and I'll relate it here FWIW;
>> My answer was simple and to the point. What I said was that if I drove
>> one into the ground someday, I sure hoped that my friends didn't all
>> gather round and say I died doing something I loved to do. I'd MUCH
>> rather have had them gather round and say that knowing me like they did,
>> they would take even money that whatever happened, I was fighting it all
>> the way down trying to save it.
>>
>> This is just a small point on a personal slant that I've made above, but
>> FWIW, I think many pilots who don't make it for one reason or another
>> might rest easier if their friends thought of them this way. I know in
>> the airshow community, this is how a lot of us feel.
>>
>> --
>> Dudley Henriques- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> I've never cared for the "went out doing what they loved" line
> either. Dying sucks no matter how you look at it or how it happens,
> whether you smash into the ground in a plane, or fade away in a
> hospital bed. Every person that dies leaves behind people who liked
> them, loved them, and even a few that hated them. Its better to throw
> a wake and celebrate the life that they had, and openly state that you
> will miss them, than to try to somehow justify what happened. Just
> admit it sucks, face the pain of losing them, and celebrate the fact
> that you were fortunate enough to be part of their life.
>
> I for one hope that I never ever die in a plane crash. I love flying
> too much, and would hate to die from something that gives me so much
> pleasure. I would also hate for my wife to be able to say "see, I
> knew his flying was dangerous and I knew it would kill him someday".
> Of course, I don't want to die from cancer, heart attack, auto
> accident, viral infection, gunshot, stabbing or "old age".
> Unfortunately, none of us are immortal.
>
> I lost two co-workers in a plane crash, and my boss was lucky enough
> to survive it with serious injuries. I mourned the two who died (both
> great guys) and told my boss that I was glad that he was still alive
> (and he was damned lucky to be alive). When his partners tried to pin
> the blame on him (unjustified, he wasn't responsible for the crash) I
> supported him and even testified on his behalf in court when he sued
> his partners for ousting him from the company just two weeks after the
> crash. The whole thing was ugly, and I left that company because of
> how they treated him (and how they treated me). I never once thought
> that the guys who died did so doing what they loved, that simply
> didn't matter. They were dead, their families were suffering, and
> there was no way to ever change that. Nobody could do anything about
> it, and even trying to lay blame where it didn't belong wasn't going
> to change it.
>
> I think that the best we can do for fatal airplane accidents is to
> study them to learn from the mistakes (if any) that the pilot(s) made
> so that we don't repeat them. If we can do that and succeed, then at
> least they helped prevent someone else from repeating that accident.
> Learning from personal experience how to avoid fatal accidents isn't
> very practical.
>
> Dean W
> AeroLEDs LLC
> www.aeroleds.com
>
Had a good friend, Dick Schram. Dick was probably the best light
aircraft stick I've ever known. He was world famous for his comedy act
in a J3 Cub. He was killed right in front of me as his son Dick Jr (of
the Blue Angels) was narrating his act at the Reading show many years ago.
He was killed when the stick came out in his hand during a low altitude
loop. The airplane was borrowed and had been used for a photo shoot the
day before with the rear stick taken out for the photographer. Whoever
put it back in didn't secure the cotter pin at the base of the stick and
Dick missed it in his preflight.
It was just one of those "little things" that can kill you in an airplane.
I have used Dick's accident in every safety seminar I've ever given on
flight safety. I would estimate over the years I've probably reached
thousands of pilots with this "preflight importance message".
I've thought many times about Dick and how he might have felt about
being used in this way, but I knew him well enough to know that if there
would have been one thing he would have wanted to leave behind it would
have been a safety message that might save another pilot's life.

In our business, you never cry in public when someone buys the farm. It
just isn't the way professionals do things. This doesn't mean we don't
have feelings. Of course we feel a loss just as anyone would. We have
families and friends and we all know each other. Aviation is one huge
family really, and when someone goes in, we all feel it.
But the name of the game on the professional end is LEARNING. Privately,
we suck it in and eat it raw. We look at what happened and we learn from
it. We feel that if nothing is learned from an accident, a life was
wasted, and no life should be wasted.
Through my safety lectures, Dick Schram lived on to help other pilots. I
STILL even today, as you can see here, use his accident to stress to
pilots everywhere the importance of complete and thorough preflight
inspections.
Knowing Schram as I did, someday down the line when we meet again, he'll
buy me a heavenly drink and slap me on the back and thank me for
insuring that his death might have saved another pilot's life.
Dick Schram was like that.
Dudley Henriques

--
Dudley Henriques

Mortimer Schnerd, RN[_2_]
August 18th 07, 10:27 AM
wrote:
> I've never cared for the "went out doing what they loved" line
> either. Dying sucks no matter how you look at it or how it happens,
> whether you smash into the ground in a plane, or fade away in a
> hospital bed. Every person that dies leaves behind people who liked
> them, loved them, and even a few that hated them. Its better to throw
> a wake and celebrate the life that they had, and openly state that you
> will miss them, than to try to somehow justify what happened. Just
> admit it sucks, face the pain of losing them, and celebrate the fact
> that you were fortunate enough to be part of their life.


People use that line because they don't know *what* to say. There are no words
that are adequate for the situation so people try to come up with something that
at least won't add to the pain. They feel like they have to say *something*.

I wouldn't be too hard on someone who made such a comment. Really all he is
doing is expressing condolences.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

Jay Honeck
August 18th 07, 01:41 PM
> I wouldn't be too hard on someone who made such a comment. Really all he is
> doing is expressing condolences.

Agreed. There is often nothing good to say, so you say whatever
sounds good at the time.

We have sadly attended three funerals for pilot friends this year.
The first one happened in the coldest possible weather, the lines
wrapped around the funeral home, and the survivors were a beautiful
young wife and two little kids. It was heart-breaking, and NO ONE
said "he died doing what he loved", at least not when I was there.

The second funeral (for a couple) was completely different. They had
no kids, and were in their 50s, and the funeral was quite small. They
died together, left few survivors, and EVERYONE was saying "at least
they died doing what they loved".

Funerals are as different as weddings. Same as any social event, it
all depends on the folks involved...

Personally, I'd much rather die in a plane wreck than in an old-folks'
home, but the devil is in deciding WHEN. I've seen old age steal
everything from people, leaving them worse than dead, but it all
happens so incrementally that no one -- least of all you -- knows it's
happening.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Dudley Henriques[_2_]
August 18th 07, 02:43 PM
Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:
> wrote:
>> I've never cared for the "went out doing what they loved" line
>> either. Dying sucks no matter how you look at it or how it happens,
>> whether you smash into the ground in a plane, or fade away in a
>> hospital bed. Every person that dies leaves behind people who liked
>> them, loved them, and even a few that hated them. Its better to throw
>> a wake and celebrate the life that they had, and openly state that you
>> will miss them, than to try to somehow justify what happened. Just
>> admit it sucks, face the pain of losing them, and celebrate the fact
>> that you were fortunate enough to be part of their life.
>
>
> People use that line because they don't know *what* to say. There are no words
> that are adequate for the situation so people try to come up with something that
> at least won't add to the pain. They feel like they have to say *something*.
>
> I wouldn't be too hard on someone who made such a comment. Really all he is
> doing is expressing condolences.
>
>
>
Just to clarify a bit in case it needs clarification;

In my post above dealing with the way many of us in the demonstration
community feel about losing a pilot; this is just the way WE deal with
this situation and in no way would we ever even consider "putting down"
someone else who expressed sorrow in their own way.
I just wanted to make this absolutely clear to everyone.
Dudley Henriques

--
Dudley Henriques

Paul Tomblin
August 18th 07, 02:46 PM
In a previous article, said:
>I've never cared for the "went out doing what they loved" line
>either. Dying sucks no matter how you look at it or how it happens,
>whether you smash into the ground in a plane, or fade away in a
>hospital bed. Every person that dies leaves behind people who liked

I don't know about you guys, but I want to go to my grave knowing I've
flown as much as it was possible for me to fly. If I die in a crash, that
means I've died when I still had flying years ahead of me and potential
adventures that will never happen. I want to die the day after I lose my
medical, not the day before.


--
Paul Tomblin > http://blog.xcski.com/
If men are from Mars and women are from Venus, there's going to be one
big-ass fight over where to set the thermostat.
-- Jim Rosenberg

Montblack
August 18th 07, 05:54 PM
("Paul Tomblin" wrote)
I want to die the day after I lose my medical, not the day before.


Light Sport taint purgatory!


Paul-Mont

skym
August 18th 07, 09:34 PM
Sorry for your loss. Try to remember the good times you had together.

Mortimer Schnerd, RN[_2_]
August 19th 07, 01:24 AM
Paul Tomblin wrote:
> I don't know about you guys, but I want to go to my grave knowing I've
> flown as much as it was possible for me to fly. If I die in a crash, that
> means I've died when I still had flying years ahead of me and potential
> adventures that will never happen. I want to die the day after I lose my
> medical, not the day before.


I used to want to die at the hands of a jealous husband, but I'm afraid the
window of opportunity has slammed shut.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

Peter R.
August 29th 07, 03:29 PM
On 8/18/2007 12:14:24 AM, wrote:

> I for one hope that I never ever die in a plane crash. I love flying
> too much, and would hate to die from something that gives me so much
> pleasure. I would also hate for my wife to be able to say "see, I
> knew his flying was dangerous and I knew it would kill him someday".

Came upon this a week or so late, but just wanted to add that the above are
exactly my sentiments. I definitely do not want to add fuel to the "those
small planes are dangerous" mentality by dying in an aircraft accident.

--
Peter

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