Neil Lawson of whiteplanes, died yesterday

5Z wrote:
Eric Greenwell wrote:

It might be because you have prejudged the situation, as has JJ. From
what I've read, there is no indication the pilot was not performing the
landing properly. JJ's claim that the police arrested him because he
committed homicide was unsupported. At that point, the pilot had not
even been charged, much less convicted of a crime.


At a contest in Minden a few years back, a pilot finishing a landing
roll hit his daughter who was photographing him. The police arrested
him. He got out quickly and injury wasn't serious IIRC.

This was one of our club's members. His daughter grew up crewing for him
and had caught his wing in the past. This time things went wrong. It
simply isn't possible to determine "guilt" without fully knowing the
situation.

All that these incidents point out is that vigilance must never be put
in the back seat, period.

Things can happen fast, and even a small change in what is done can make
the difference. We may have much to learn from Neil's death, but I don't
think we know what it is yet.


--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

' At that point, the pilot had not even been charged,
much less convicted of a crime.'

http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/di...deId=132697&co
mmand=displayContent&sourceNode=132405&home=yes&co ntentPK=12982884
&localNewsNodeId=132387

At 12:48 13 August 2005, Stewart Kissel wrote:
' At that point, the pilot had not even been charged,
much less convicted of a crime.'

http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/di...deId=132697&co

mmand=displayContent&sourceNode=132405&home=yes&c ontentPK=12982884

&localNewsNodeId=132387


An arrest alone does not mean necessarily that a person
has been charged... It is quite normal to arrest people
after accidents on suspicion (and only suspicion) of
felonies and then release on bail pre-charging, even
if in the end no charges are brought. A person on
bail has various restrictions on movements (depending
on bail conditions) and it's easier to bring them back
to charge them.

Again, you are jumping to conclusions, let the investigation
take its course. I wasn't there, neither were you.
If and when formal charges are brought, then you can
point a finger.

J

Neil Lawson was the team captain for the British team in the European
championships at Nitra, Slovakia in July.

He wrote the on-line reports , and of course took the photos; these maybe
found at
http://www.glidingteam.co.uk/competi...news-nitra.php

I think his messages make one of the best competition reports I have ever
read, and the pictures are of course superb.

I never met Neil, reading these reports helps me to understand why those who
knew him have been so hard hit.

W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.).
Remove "ic" to reply.


"2cernauta2" wrote in message
...

Dear All,

I hear from my Italian friends at the Junior's WGCs that the famous
soaring photographer Neil Lawson has died yesterday.
He was standing on the roof of his car, to get better pictures of the
finishing gliders. One of those gliders caught him.
The pilot involved is a British team mate, Ian Craigie. He has been
arrested.

Very sad news for the whole gliding world, for his friends and
relatives.

He will be missed

Aldo Cernezzi

On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 11:36:49 +0200, Stefan
wrote:

JJ Sinclair wrote:

Well, Kirk, the first poster said the pilot was finishing. He also said
the pilot was arrested, why? Because he committed a homicide. That's
right he was responsible for the death of an innocent bystander.

No. This wasn't an "innocent bystander". This was a well informed
insider, who knew exactly what he was doing and deliberately decided to
take the well known risk.

Part of the official BGA statement:
"a collision between a glider and a man, adjacent to Husbands Bosworth
airfield"
Adjacent means outside the perimeter of the airfield...

Every accident is a very sad thing, of course, but the truth is the truth.
You mean perception is reality?

On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 22:08:57 UTC, Pete Masson
wrote:

: Neil will always be there - every time we smoke towards
: the finish line, and you can bet that, as usual, he'll
: be egging us on to get closer...

I recognize that you are upset, but I find that a quite remarkable
claim.

Ian


--

At 22:12 12 August 2005, Pete Masson wrote: (snip)
I am now getting deeply upset by this and other similar
threads.

On Wednesday, after his initial posting, I sent JJ
an email expressing how upset I was by him using the
accident as a forum for his personal soap box. After
his second posting, I have to admit to some some red
mist descending and making me click send on a pretty
offensive email, although in my opinion no more offensive
than his. I don't regret this one bit, particularly
as JJ didn't deign to reply to me personally, he just
carried on with his rant. JJ - if you really believe
you have a point that needs to be made on this subject
right now, come here to the UK, and theres a few of
us who would be interested to hear you make it in person,
face to face.

Neil will always be there - every time we smoke towards
the finish line, and you can bet that, as usual, he'll
be egging us on to get closer...

Regards,

Pete Masson

I have already gone on record as saying that coment
on this incident is best left until after the facts
are ascertained and I have also rebuked those who have
used the incident to further personal agendas. I further
understand the sadness felt by those who are close
to the people involved.
If JJ was wrong in the way he made his postings, and
I accept this is not for me to judge, but I can give
an opinion then and that is that the same must apply
to all. Two wrongs do not make a right. I have thought
long and hard about the above posting and while I understand
that the words were spoken from the heart some things
are better left unsaid. It would be unfair for me to
comment as I have about JJ and not about this posting.
All I would ask is that the last paragraph is considered
in the same light as the posting made by JJ with regard
to personal agendas and the effect such a statement
may have both on those glider pilots reading it and
those investigating this incident.

In answer to a question posed in the same posting I
have had the misfortune to tell relatives of the loss
of their loved ones on far too many occasions. It is
something that I am totally committed to do anything
in my power to avoid doing again or indeed to make
it necessary for anyone else to do.

W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.). wrote:
Neil Lawson was the team captain for the British team in the European
championships at Nitra, Slovakia in July.

He wrote the on-line reports , and of course took the photos; these maybe
found at
http://www.glidingteam.co.uk/competi...news-nitra.php

I think his messages make one of the best competition reports I have ever
read, and the pictures are of course superb.

I never met Neil, reading these reports helps me to understand why those who
knew him have been so hard hit.


I think the caption from the photo posted on the 20/7/05 says it all.


W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.).
Remove "ic" to reply.


"2cernauta2" wrote in message
...

Dear All,

I hear from my Italian friends at the Junior's WGCs that the famous
soaring photographer Neil Lawson has died yesterday.
He was standing on the roof of his car, to get better pictures of the
finishing gliders. One of those gliders caught him.
The pilot involved is a British team mate, Ian Craigie. He has been
arrested.

Very sad news for the whole gliding world, for his friends and
relatives.

He will be missed

Aldo Cernezzi