Yes it is a terrible thing that happened while a man chased his dreams, but
if man was never passionate about the "temporal things" he would likely
still be sitting with his family around the fire, just outside the cave
entrance.

Just the fact that we can have this conversation with folks from all parts
of the country and even the world is evidence of what chasing those passions
adds to the world. Many times these passions have tragic endings, but that
doesn't mean it is a waste, it's part what defines the human race.

And while the family of David Robert Thompson has suffered a great loss,
there is nothing in the news that would indicate that he was any less
passionate about his family than he was about his work. On the contrary, I
would imagine his same passion for life, creativity and discovery has rubbed
off on his children and will continue to shape their lives for the rest of
their time on earth.

Regards,

Mitch

Mitch Hines
Alon A-2 Aircoupe
N6369V


Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical
and insignificant, if not utterly impossible.

- Simon Newcomb, 1902



"Jim Willson" wrote in message news:3f1e93b4$1@ham...
Even though I'd be quite capable of doing it, I'll never build a kit
airplane. Call me a wimp, but I've assembled too many bicycles on Christmas
morning to think that I could be 100% correct in building an airplane. And
for what?! A thrill. The pride to say, "Look what I did!" I wonder what
the kids will say about their daddy. I'm sure he spent hours at the hanger
instead of with them. Perhaps they sat at the hanger watching him asking
him annoying questions so that they could at least get his attention. I'm
sure he made many promises to spend more time with them when the plane was
finished.

We spend so many hours of our lives chasing after the temporal things of
this world, (i.e. hobbies, work, a name, a reputation). We never spend time
chasing after the things that will count when we're gone (the character of
our family) or those things eternal.

I grieve for this family. What a waste!

R/
Jim

================================================== ==========================
=================
Engineer Killed in Small Plane Crash
TEHACHAPI, Calif. (AP) - An aerospace engineer was killed when a kit
airplane he had spent years building crashed during takeoff on its maiden
flight.
The single-engine plane piloted by David Robert Thompson
(http://www.scaled.com), 38, fell back onto the runway and burst into flames
Sunday at Mountain Valley Airport, about 70 miles north of Los Angeles.
His wife and two children were among the witnesses.
``His family was there, videotaping,'' said coroner Kelly Cowan. ``It was
supposed to be a celebration.''
The cause of the crash was not known.
Thompson was in charge of developing a rocket motor for a private manned
spaceship program that aims to some day launch a three-seat spaceship on
suborbital flights.
He worked for the aerospace company founded by Burt Rutan, who designed the
only aircraft to fly around the world nonstop without refueling.
Rutan said Monday that Thompson was flying a Q2, a kit plane marketed in the
1980s by a company that is no longer in business. He said Thompson ``was
very private'' about the plane and did not tell co-workers about the flight.