Just to echo all that's been said before. Superb pilot. Articulate, wonderfully engaging, immaculately attired gentleman and all-around nice guy to world-class competitors and less accomplished types alike. And his innovative, exquisitely designed trailers and ground-handling devices presaged the Euro tilt-top/clamshell revolution by some years.

In our current world, it often seems that everything happens faster and is more transient than ever before. With the departure in the past few years of soaring icons such as Ben Greene, Dick Schreder, and A.J. Smith, it seems we are witnessing the passing into history of an era when a small handful of multi-talented personalities--several of whom are still among us--dominated U.S. soaring to an extent that is difficult to comprehend in today's fragmented competition arena.

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
U.S.A.