I lost 2 friends today (Walt Meziere aka WaltM and Joe Livingston)

Wow, just a gut punch to read - Walt seemed to be a genuinely great guy, so very sorry to hear this.

Prayers and condolences for family and friends including many of us here.

'Gimp
 
So sad :( When accidents like this happen, it makes me question flying; whether or not I should continue. Even someone as experienced as these 2 crashes, what am I, a student pilot, doing in the air? Am I being selfish to my family?
 
ybitz said:
So sad :( When accidents like this happen, it makes me question flying; whether or not I should continue. Even someone as experienced as these 2 crashes, what am I, a student pilot, doing in the air? Am I being selfish to my family?
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We don't have any idea why this plane crashed. It may have nothing to do with the crew, or it may be a careless mistake by the crew. We just don't know. My point being, don't second guess your hobby by assuming if experienced guys crashed, that it means you will too.
 
None of us know when our number comes up. Don't let that thwart your dreams. Walt and Joe would tell you the same.
 
Everskyward said:
That's sad news. I'm pretty sure I met him (Walt) during a POA get-together in Addison at the pink Cajun restaurant off Beltline. In fact I'm sure, because for some reason I bookmarked a link to his airport.

http://www.t14airport.com

I'm pretty sure Spike, Dave S, AggieMike and others were there too.
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That was him.... Buying the alligator entrè for all of us.

Walt was an aviation guy I admired as well. Very passionate, knowledgeable and always looking for some way or someone to share.

I too will miss him.
 
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I am terribly sorry for the loss of your friends. There are never any words and I know I don't have them. May you find peace and comfort.
 
Fair skies and tailwinds, Walt and Joe.

evapilotaz said:
Makes you wonder if this sport is worth the risk.
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After the loss of a close friend at the beginning of June, I asked myself the same question. The conclusion I came to is, yes, absolutely ****ing yes, it is worth the risk. How do you think guys like Joe and Walt would feel if they knew that someone gave up flying because of an accident that they had? As cliche as it is, they died doing what they loved. They died doing the most romantic, and beautiful thing the human race has ever accomplished. They died doing what was once thought impossible, defying gravity, and taking flight. There have been many before, and many who have still yet to meet their end in aviation. Somewhere out there today exists an airplane you may yourself meet your maker in. It is a very strange and sobering feeling when you buckle up your seatbelt and realize that there is a chance that it may be for the last time.

We do not fly because it's a safe hobby, we fly because it is in our blood, and we love it.
 
DavidWhite said:
Fair skies and tailwinds, Walt and Joe.



After the loss of a close friend at the beginning of June, I asked myself the same question. The conclusion I came to is, yes, absolutely ****ing yes, it is worth the risk. How do you think guys like Joe and Walt would feel if they knew that someone gave up flying because of an accident that they had? As cliche as it is, they died doing what they loved. They died doing the most romantic, and beautiful thing the human race has ever accomplished. They died doing what was once thought impossible, defying gravity, and taking flight. There have been many before, and many who have still yet to meet their end in aviation. Somewhere out there today exists an airplane you may yourself meet your maker in. It is a very strange and sobering feeling when you buckle up your seatbelt and realize that there is a chance that it may be for the last time.

We do not fly because it's a safe hobby, we fly because it is in our blood, and we love it.
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Very well put......
 
Bad season for Comanche's in TX. Second one in a couple months.
RIP.
 
Everskyward said:
That's sad news. I'm pretty sure I met him (Walt) during a POA get-together in Addison at the pink Cajun restaurant off Beltline. In fact I'm sure, because for some reason I bookmarked a link to his airport.

http://www.t14airport.com

I'm pretty sure Spike, Dave S, AggieMike and others were there too.
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Yep. You remember correctly. As Mike noted, Walt made sure we had some fried gator to eat.

Everything nice Bryan wrote about Walt, all true in spades.

It was apparent from the first moment you met Walt that he was approaching life as something to be lived to the fullest, and he was absolutely determined to share joy with everyone he met.

An all-around good guy, a terrible loss.

Walt was a good stick, too, and for him, the joy of flight was unmatched.

I had met and shaken hands with Joe, but could not claim to know him; but he was a friend of Walt, and a friend of Bryan, and these things alone tell you he, too, is someone that we will miss.
 
DavidWhite said:
Fair skies and tailwinds, Walt and Joe.



After the loss of a close friend at the beginning of June, I asked myself the same question. The conclusion I came to is, yes, absolutely ****ing yes, it is worth the risk. How do you think guys like Joe and Walt would feel if they knew that someone gave up flying because of an accident that they had? As cliche as it is, they died doing what they loved. They died doing the most romantic, and beautiful thing the human race has ever accomplished. They died doing what was once thought impossible, defying gravity, and taking flight. There have been many before, and many who have still yet to meet their end in aviation. Somewhere out there today exists an airplane you may yourself meet your maker in. It is a very strange and sobering feeling when you buckle up your seatbelt and realize that there is a chance that it may be for the last time.

We do not fly because it's a safe hobby, we fly because it is in our blood, and we love it.
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Very well said David. I would only add that many things we do in life are risky. The likelihood of being killed in a car crash is not too far behind, yet we continue to do it. And I daresay driving a car brings far less, if any, enjoyment to most of us.
 
Bryan and the Texas guys, I am very sorry for your loss. :sad:
 
I never met or knew these men. But after reading this thread I feel we all lost something here.

So very sorry to hear this and Prayers to friends and family. R.I.P

Tony Sweet
 
It was a bad morning! I get up very early every morning and watch DFW channel 5 news, mostly for the weather. I saw the picture of the plane in their teaser trying to get you to stay tuned for the rest of the story, but I didn't have time. Driving onto the parking lot I heard the say on the news, the owner of an airport near Quinlan and I literally hit the brakes in the middle of the parking lot, then they gave Walts name and took me a little bit, to get the car back in gear and parked.

I met Walt several times including a couple of times I flew into the Rocking M.

The first time I flew there was VERY shortly after getting my private and still a rank rookie pilot, although I'm not a lot farther along now. It was about 7AM on a beautiful, clear sky morning. I was not at all used to flying the pattern for a relatively small strip. I went around twice before getting low enough. Walt must have been carrying a handheld, because he was on the radio with me, giving me encouragement as I kept coming around and finally put it down. I taxied and parked where he told me to, and then he gave me a big smile and handshake along with shaking off my statements of embarrassment.

He put on so many events for folks, and I never made it to many of them. I was planning on flying in weekend before last to congratulate him on his wedding and then the fly in portion he had to cancel because of the recent flooding, that not only canceled the fly in but did damage at his place that he never whined or complained about.

You can read his thread about the fly in and wedding at dfwpilots dot com.

Walt was a friendly and accommodating guy who will be missed by so many.

I am sure that I met Joe and I have heard his name, but I don't specifically remember him.

Thanks to SixPapaCharlie for starting the thread and for such a great original post. Thanks also to David White for such a great post. I had the priviledge of meeting David when he was seventeen and already an accomplished pilot.

Blue Skies Walt and Joe!
 
I met Walt many years ago when I was flying a powered parachute and we would be friends from that point on. Like me, he would go from a powered parachute, to an ultralight, to his Starduster, to his Stinson, and when he needed to go somewhere he would jump in the Comanche. He would look over at me when flying the Comanche, bank it up on one wing and do a low pass, saying he'd missed his calling as a WWII fighter pilot.

Sometimes people would give us crap about flying a powered parachute, but we both loved aviating... there are so many types of flying and he loved them all. If you'd told him he'd die in a plane crash, I don't think he would have been surprised, but I guarantee he wouldn't have stopped flying.

I missed his wedding because he had to close the runway due to the recent flooding. I didn't have time to drive up there, but I'd give anything to have gone now. I joked with him that I'd catch the next wedding and he laughed and said, "Not this time Bro, she's the one." So glad we got a chance to spend some of your short life with you Walt.
 
I did not know Walt well but did have the pleasure of meeting him once. I remember him being warm and generous and truly a pilot's pilot. This hits me hard too so I can only imagine how those of you who knew him well feel and my thoughts are especially with his wife of only two weeks.
 
Wow, this truly is a shi&&y way to start the day.

When I started skydiving 17 years ago I was told 'If you stay in the sport long enough you WILL lose friends and see people die. Its up to you to decide if it is worth it'.

Well after 17 years, Ive lost friends and seen people die, and although I occasionally question my participation in the sport, I always decide that Yes, it is absolutely worth it. My friends who are gone would agree.

Aviation is the same and I think Walt and Joe would agree.

Prayers to their families and to Walt's new wife. Condolences to Friends and the aviation community at large is poorer for their passing.
 
checking in late on this thread... thanks for starting it...

Walt..... You know I was just going to start bugging him about his oshkosh plans next week... that and getting checked out in the Citabria so I could fly out and land at his strip again. Walt was always there for everyone. I've flown with him countless times and a lot of good memories. He was always ready to give you a hand with something, or a good kick in the butt if you needed to snap out of things. Many have said he was a pilots pilot. And he was, but he was also an ambassador of aviation to so many.

He lived life fully, and should be an inspiration to us all.

I'll miss him and Joe. They were really good guys.
 
Mitch817 said:
checking in late on this thread... thanks for starting it...

Walt..... You know I was just going to start bugging him about his oshkosh plans next week... that and getting checked out in the Citabria so I could fly out and land at his strip again. Walt was always there for everyone. I've flown with him countless times and a lot of good memories. He was always ready to give you a hand with something, or a good kick in the butt if you needed to snap out of things. Many have said he was a pilots pilot. And he was, but he was also an ambassador of aviation to so many.

He lived life fully, and should be an inspiration to us all.

I'll miss him and Joe. They were really good guys.
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First post...

Welcome to POA.....

:cheers::cheers:
 
Condolences to all who were blessed to know these gentlemen.
 
DavidWhite said:
Fair skies and tailwinds, Walt and Joe.







After the loss of a close friend at the beginning of June, I asked myself the same question. The conclusion I came to is, yes, absolutely ****ing yes, it is worth the risk. How do you think guys like Joe and Walt would feel if they knew that someone gave up flying because of an accident that they had? As cliche as it is, they died doing what they loved. They died doing the most romantic, and beautiful thing the human race has ever accomplished. They died doing what was once thought impossible, defying gravity, and taking flight. There have been many before, and many who have still yet to meet their end in aviation. Somewhere out there today exists an airplane you may yourself meet your maker in. It is a very strange and sobering feeling when you buckle up your seatbelt and realize that there is a chance that it may be for the last time.



We do not fly because it's a safe hobby, we fly because it is in our blood, and we love it.
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You said it perfectly.
 
There was one eye witness. I emailed him last night.
No response yet
 
Sorry to hear, 6PC, I know how that goes. I was just informed of the loss of a friend myself this morning, although it wasn't in a plane crash.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
There was one eye witness. I emailed him last night.
No response yet
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Reports say the crash occurred just 1000' off the end of the runway? At 100 mph, they covered that distance in just 6.5 seconds.

Not much time to deal with whatever happened.
:(

The quote "These are the times that try men's souls" (Thomas Paine) keeps popping into my head, as I warily contemplate my flight, planned for later today.
 
Jay Honeck said:
Reports say the crash occurred just 1000' off the end of the runway? At 100 mph, they covered that distance in just 6.5 seconds.

Not much time to deal with whatever happened.
:(
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If you look at the photos in the link to the news article in 6PC's 2nd post you'll see that the plane is in no way aligned with the runway.

I will not speculate and, I hope out of respect, others will refrain also as it's such a demonizing and demented sport played here.
 
timwinters said:
If you look at the photos in the link to the news article in 6PC's 2nd post you'll see that the plane is in no way aligned with the runway.



I will not speculate and, I hope out of respect, others will refrain also as it's such a demonizing and demented sport played here.
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Amen. Let's just remember two great men lost. And go fly. They'd want you to do that.
 
I cant really add anything that wasnt said already except I have been pondering whether this hobby is too dangerous and "selfish" to keep flying recently. But I came with the conclusion that life is worth living and I dont want to regret things as I get older.
Condolences, it sucks that we lost not only good people and men, but good
ambassadors to aviation.
 
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