In Memoriam

[transquebecniece]

All the tributes did it to me, HV. It's how we know we're still alive. (On a sidenote: If/when you ever see our Skully Skullcap again, please give him my regards, will ya?)

[twinstar_ca]

my sincere condolences as well, cap... raising one in tribute to your mom..

[cap]

Thanks folks for the kind comments and thoughts. All moms ARE special...."Yes". Give yours an extra big hug and ask questions about their lives BEFORE they were anybody's mom. I didn't do it enough and now I'm learning while I go through a myraid of personal logbooks, certificates and sundry awards....without her. Don't make the same mistake as me....learn about that lady you call "Mom" and maybe took for granted more than once.

[Guest Bullet Remington]

Cap: Condolences to you and yours. Mom's are always special ladies and yours seems to have been super great. Just think another "Angel" to look after us fly guys still grounded.

 

Take care bud, I'll have a single malt salut to your MOM, maybe two.

 

Don

 

 

DITTO!

Cap, ya old coot! Thoughts are with you and ya family! Yer Ma was and IS a heck of a lady! I sure don't think the apple fell far from the tree!

 

I SHALL p/u a bottle of Malt tomorrow and WILL drink to the life, actions and spirit of a great veteran, AND her son!

 

BR

[Rosco]

Our deepest condolences to your whole family Ol' Bean.

 

Your in our thoughts & prayers.

 

Will hoist in honor tonite.

 

Cheers

 

R

[cap]

BR ----- thanks for the thought's and compliment. Unfortunately, that may have applied in other things but not in flying. The only time I ever bested that lady was when they grounded her after 5 months of being pregnant and only after they found out about it. So right now, I'm trying to figure-out how many flights I went as co-pilot and didn't know about it and where all I travelled.......and in what. So far it appears I made some P-47 flights for Republic Avaition for sure, but I doubt MoT/FAA would consider that as "loggable time".

 

 

Rosco ------make that two-fingers held horizontal because dad was like me.......we liked those two-fingers inserted vertically into the top of the glass and pointed downwards..........and thanks bud for the thought also.

[Phil Croucher]

cap - just downing a few fingers of Ardbeg in honour of your ma - would sure like to hear more of what she got up to!

 

Phil

[gwk]

I would like to take a few minutes to pay a tribute to a friend of mine, fellow helicopter pilot, and family man.

It was the late 90,s, and Doha, the capital of Qatar was really starting to see the benifits of all that oil and gas offshore. Gulf Helicopters was also riding the wave and the company was expanding the offshore side of things. The VFR side was still keeping two 212,s ( Highlands old 212,s) busy, but most of the guys did not want to do the outside jobs anymore, or were not really qualified. The company decided to hire some VFR pilots and Mark Burdoff was one of them.

Mark was from Cairns, Aust., and had been flying over the tropical jungles of Papau New Guinea for years, but wanted to spend more time with the family, so he started down the road to offshore flying.

Iniatally, Mark was flying in the Oman, but slowly eased into the offshore side, and was able to bring his family out to Doha on married accompanied.

Mark was the type of guy who always had a crinkly eyed smile, who would stay late or give you a ride home, even though it was way out of his way. Mark enjoyed working offshore, and managed to do occaisional outside jobs in Oman and the Sudan, but all good things usually end.

With the war in Iraq inevitable, everyone was moving their families back home, and some were quitting, worried about their saftey. Mark left Gulf Heli,s for Heavy Lift, and ended up in Afghanistan, kind of out of the frying pan, into the fire.

Late one night, the camp Mark was in, started to come under attack, and as per SOP,s, Mark made way for the Heli., and fired it up. The helicopter was straffed and Mark was hit. The Doctor in the co-pilots seat pulled the T handles and shut the machine down, and started getting everyone out. In the confusion, a rebel made his way up along side the machine, and ended Marks life with a few shots from his rifle.

Mark died along way from home, far from his family and his friends, but he died doing what he loved, flying helicopters.

We all miss Mark, and wish he had not been taken from us. We all hope that he is at peace, enjoying a beer, and a good day of fishing.

Cheers mate!

gwk

[67november]

To Mark, and all of those pilots who've serve and to those who go for the flying, I raise a toast to all those brave soles that simply enjoyed flying. I salute you.

[cap]

Albert Ross ------ will do after I get it all together. Right now I'm at home awaiting the arrival of her ashes so proceedings can begin down east. It appears that it will take 4 days for her to cross the US/Can border because Osama et al may be using her ashes to hide Semtex, a "dity bomb", etc. Good thing that she's not alive or that would be the longest 4 days that those Canada Customs Agents ever spent (Dripping sarcasm fully intentional). :angry: