Lost opportunity

flyingcheesehead

flyingcheesehead

Taxi to Parking
Joined
Feb 23, 2005
Messages
25,234
Location
UQACY, WI
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iMooniac
A couple of months ago, I had a trainee named Andy who was pretty much the perfect trainee: He showed up ready to work hard, learn as much as possible, he was smart enough to pick things up quickly and retain them, and really a nice guy to boot. I even told the boss that Andy would make a great trainer once he had the requisite experience.

I usually take my trainees flying with me at some point, but we didn't get the chance while he was with me - Probably because we ran our @$$es off, and I never took him back to WI for a road test - We ended up retreiving another truck (and its hapless driver) and Andy went out on his own before we made it back to Wisconsin.

I found out he was a weather geek - For some reason weather just really fascinated him, and we spent a lot of time talking about weather systems, instrument flying, Garmin 396's, etc. I told him that as soon as I got my IR I'd take him flying IN the weather (I don't think he'd ever been off the ground). He also told his dad that I was a pilot, and he told me that after he'd said that, his dad revealed that he'd always wanted to learn how to fly. Andy was really excited about that, he didn't really know much about his dad's interests before and thought it was really cool that his dad wanted to learn how to fly. I told him I'd take them both, any time they wanted.

I finally got my IR about two weeks ago. Last week, I left Andy a message and told him I was ready to take him and his father flying.

Andy won't be returning my call. He was killed in a motorcycle accident over the weekend, just two weeks after his 32nd birthday. :( :( :(

FWIW, I am going to try and track down his dad and take him flying, and tell him how cool Andy thought that was (as well as how highly I thought of Andy, of course). I might even buy him an intro flight for Father's Day. Hopefully, they can get just a few thousand feet closer.
 
Oh, and if that wasn't bad enough...

I called my parents to ask them to watch the newspaper for info on Andy's crash, and found out that my dad's best friend, after having a peristent cough the last couple of months, went in for a CAT scan... They found that he has lung cancer, which has metastasized. :(

And kidney cancer. :eek:

And liver cancer. :eek: :hairraise: :dunno:
 
What Lance said. Sometimes things are just inexplicable. Sorry to hear this.
 
Gee Kent that is just a massive sucks fest. Sorry bout all the crappy news. go flying reconnect and clear your head.
 
I am so sorry. I once lost a very bright student to a freak auto accident. You don't really get over young, bright people dying before their time.

Judy
 
Sorry about your loss Kent. It will mean a lot to your friend's dad that you keep in touch with him. I think that is a GREAT idea to purchase him an intro flight for fathers day.
 
Thank you for thinking of his father. Like many, I've lost lots of loved ones, some very close to me, and I am always struck by the impact the departed had on other people's lives, which never seems to come to my attention until it it too late. There is (and will be for Andy's father) some comfort in knowing that your loved ones left a mark in the lives of others; it confirms in the face of the loss that what time they did have with us was spent well.
 
Pjsmith said:
I am always struck by the impact the departed had on other people's lives, which never seems to come to my attention until it it too late. There is (and will be for Andy's father) some comfort in knowing that your loved ones left a mark in the lives of others; it confirms in the face of the loss that what time they did have with us was spent well.
Click to expand...

I know exactly what you mean. My grandmother taught dyslexic people how to read, and teachers how to use better teaching methods to teach dyslexics as well, right up until her death at age 84. At her memorial service, we had a segment where anyone who wanted could just stand up and talk. The most memorable one, for me, went something like this:

"Until I was forty years old, everyone thought I was mentally retarded. I was raised in institutions, supported by the government, and my quality of life was atrocious - All because I couldn't read. Barbara Bliss believed in me, and she was able to teach me how to read. Because of her, I now have a job, a home, and I am considered 'normal.' She gave me my life."

Stories like that really do help... I think I'll write some things down.
 
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