Pilawt - Jeff Jacobs

Rgbeard

Rgbeard

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Phoenix, AZ and Ensenada, Mexico
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rgbeard
It's with a heavy heart that I announce to the community the passing of "Pilawt". Jeff Jacobs.

He passed on Monday morning, July 29th, surrounded by his family and all the love and support that could be.

My wife and I were fortunate enough to become close friends with Jeff and his family. Among other fun trips, we crossed the continent in the Lance to attend the Facebook PA-32 flyin in 2021.
He and his father both got their PPLs at approximately the same time in a family-owned Cessna 150.

For those that asked nearly any question on general aviation facts, Jeff was always here, willingly sharing his 50+ years of aviation knowledge. He was a kind and gentle person. In a world filled with sarcasm, snark and harsh commentary, I've never heard him utter a cross word.

As many of you know, he balanced his kind personality with a razor-sharp wit. I will never forget his coy smirk as he dropped a bomb on you that you didn’t see coming.

His other passions involved his family, music, and his faith, as well as that of being a photographer. He readily shared his images collected through the decades.

I, for one, am a better human being because Jeff was in my life. And the world is a bit more empty now that he’s gone.

He’s survived by his wife, Cheryl, married sons Tim and Matt, and four grandchildren.

Citabria 55E, you’re cleared for a Westbound departure. Godspeed and tailwinds!
 
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really sad news. I enjoyed every bit of his aviation knowledge that he shared here on PoA. never met him, but it's a sad day for sure.
 
Sorry to hear that. I enjoyed hearing Jeff’s flying stories. He had a wealth of GA experience. RIP.
 
I met Jeff just once offline. He came down the hill to "downtown" Verrado when I was in town early last year. I'm a better person for having had coffee with the man one time. I can just imagine how much more can be said by those who were close to him for the years and decades he spent walking the earth and living a good life.
 
Never met him in person. Very much appreciated him and his contributions on here. Blue skies....
 
I can say without hesitation that he had the most expansive knowledge of anyone here about the model and year variants of so many different aircraft. Had a question about a specific nuance of a particular aircraft? Jeff knew the answer!

I attended the PA-32 fly-in at OLV a few years back (2022?) and Jeff kindly gave me his dinner ticket, as he was unable to make it. I remember calling him on the phone and he told me that he was happy I could use it. I will not forget that phone call and kind gesture. He contributed a lot to this forum and I will certainly miss his presence and content. The world will be a dimmer place without him in it.

Blue Skies and Tailwinds, Aviator! :(
 
Ugh this one hits home. Jeff was my go to for all things aviation knowledge. We all really lost an incredible resource and outstanding person - he helped immensely in my Skywagon restoration to keep it a true restoration, and from that perspective was really a part of the family. Jeff took me flying while I was on a work trip down in his neck of the woods, in his 172 that he had owned for decades. I wouldn't give up the time I spent with him for anything. Blue skies Jeff.


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Very nice tribute Rgbeard. Blue skies Jeff.
 
This is really sad for me. Jeff always included me along with Rusty and a couple other folks about his health issues via pm here. He was one of the kindest guys you’ll ever want to meet. I was lucky enough to be with him on three or four fly-ins here in Arizona. I hadn’t heard from him in a while after he told us all he was done flying. Now I know why. He will be missed. I’m sitting beside him here on our Lake Havasu trip
 

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I haven't been here long but was already aware of his vast knowledge and willingness to share it. I'll miss him.
 
I'm sorry to hear that, a real bummer :(. But a good tribute Rg, thanks for sharing it.
Pilawt was a really nice guy on the boards and readily shared his experience and recommendations (and his photos from the air were about the best I've ever seen).
Clear skies and tailwinds.
 
Oh man, He will be greatly missed. He contributed to many websites and I knew early on he was a stand up guy with many awesome photos and experience. He did know about many aircraft models and lots of details about them. We are all better off because of Jeff sharing his knowledge.
I will miss him a lot. :( Prayers for his family...
 
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Tailwinds sir, your contributions will be missed, the forums won't be the same without ya. RIP.
 
Definitely enjoyed his presence here. You will be missed . I noticed he hasn't been around much.
 
Sad knews, and I was keenly aware of his medical challenges to the end. Had a delightful dinner with him and his wife in Portland a few years ago and have been in touch electronically since then. We recently compared our lifetime flying experiences and they were remarkably similar.
 
I met Jeff for lunch one time. We PM’d occasionally, too. Jeff was a real encyclopedia of airplane knowledge.

We lost one of the good guys. Farewell, Jeff.
 
Sometimes being part of a hobby with an older demographic really sucks.

CAVU, Jeff. You will be missed.
 
I never met Pilawt in person, but I’ve known him for many years in our virtual worlds.
A huge loss.
Thanks for the tribute, RGB, and appreciate the photos and anecdotes, all.
 
So sad to hear this. Genuinely a nice guy, and his wealth of knowledge that he shared here will be greatly missed. Had the pleasure of meeting him once when @Timbeck2 and I flew to AVQ to meet up with the Arizona PoA contingent.

Blue Skies, Jeff
 
I never met Jeff in person, however, I’ve enjoyed his many posts and contributions to the flying community.
 
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