John was a great pilot and a better man. He was smart, had a passion for life and a wicked sense of humor. He was always there to help out, make you laugh and make you learn. Let's remember what a great guy he was and how he made the world just a little better!! John, rest in peace and may your spirit always soar!! We will miss you very much!
He was one of a relatively small and unique "Band of Brothers" known as aviators and more particularly an offshore helicopter pilot. When we lose one of our brothers, a part of us goes with him. He was one of us and will be missed.
Godspeed John, Houma Base
I worked with John at Era in Morgan City, LA. I was in the office when George called from VR-200 to inform us about the accident and was given the duty to pass that info on to my company's officers. That was the hardest few words I ever had to speak.
In the few years I have worked in this industry, I have never met anyone like John. Although we did not have a lot of time to sit around and chit-chat, John definitely stood out from the crowd. In my experiences with pilots, many of them present themselves to be "above" or "better than" others such as myself (a lowly office worker). John never treated anyone badly. He was one of the nicest and smartest guys I have ever had the pleasure of working with.
I truly believe that John is still watching over us all. We miss you John!
I was one of John's students during Summer 2005 at Hummingbird Aviation, as part of researching my book for Random House on the social history of helicopters. John was very thorough in his teaching, had a great sense of humor, and was certainly fastidious in his practices. Whenever the Schweizer was starting to get away from me during hover practice, he got control instantly, let me catch my breath, and explained the error.
I remember him pointing out my knuckles on the cyclic during hover practice and saying that those should be pink, not white. He was big on students' knowing the systems and the reasons for everything, and relaxed yet alert flying. At my last lesson with him he told me about his first weeks learning to fly, and how he would sit down with a hinged section of broomstick and a toilet-paper tube to practice use of the collective, so he could internalize how to use the correlator to keep the RPMs in the green under all conditions.
Best wishes!
Note from site admin: Check out James’s book, The God Machine: from boomerangs to black hawks the story of the helicopter.
http://www.amazon.com/
I am an Austrian Pilot and found this site on VR. I never met John but on the amount of all his friends, I am sure that he was one of the best.
honor and respect
VR 200 where John was based in the Gulf, for those of you that have read his short story, is also the central dispatch for all the helicopters flying for our company and I was here that day. I have only worked with John for 3 months, which gave us 6 weeks together. I am a news freak and pretty much and control the TV in the mornings getting "fair and balanced" and am some what right of center. Almost immediately John and I began discourses on one subject after the other (swords not always involved ). One morning, we got into it about something or the other and John stopped the conversation and had this funny look on his face and said," George, my god I agree with you on something!! I've got to think about this! There were five of us on board that day and I was the last to speak with John.
We will carry the memory forever.
I would just like to share the respect and admiration I held for John's passion of life. John showed me the true meaning of teaching and was a great influence to all who worked with him. It was my honor to have known him.
We here at Ve-200 knew right away, the first day we met John we had a truly great Pilot to fly around the many platforms here in the middle of the Gulf Of Mexico. Not all Pilots are cut out to work and live in this kind of environment, but John loved it here. He would have much rather stay out here than go in to the beach every third day to have his heli looked over. John you always kept the morale up around here. We will surely miss you.
Ken. Ve-200
I just found out on VR, It was like a physical blow. He was a great man and will be forever missed.
John was a true friend to us all and perhaps the best employee I've ever had. I could always count on John to give 110% to any task and he always came back asking for more. I laughed the first time he scouted an urban landing site in his car and marked the location on his hand-held GPS. But, that is the attention to detail that was his trademark. After flying with me in a 2-place glider he started adding a fixed-wing rating in our Citrabia. He said he really liked the "grass roots flying" and I'm sure one day he would have been back in a glider.
John, soar high.
Having been a helicopter pilot for over 30 years, I just want you to know that it is seldom we see so many pilots come together from the many different areas of RW Aviation to speak so highly of another helicopter pilot. Those that have met and worked with John are being joined with those that only knew of him from his online communication and all are saying how they admired and respected John. He is and always will be remembered as an exceptional man among the thousands of highly skilled helicopter professional pilots, crew, and
ground personnel.
I have known John since we trained together at HAI about 4 years ago. He was a top man, and one of the best blokes around. It was really cool when he got hired on at ERA and then on the same contract as myself. We hung out a lot in the last few months, and I even stayed offshore on the platform with him one night a couple of days before the accident and we chatted a lot about old times back in training and life in NZ. We traded wife stories too and he was very fond of you. He was an awesome guy, and a great pilot. He was very relaxed and enjoyed being in the air. He was also a great friend and colleague and he will be missed by all of us in MCY.
Fergus & Christine MacLachlan
As is apparent from the folks who have already posted, John touched the lives of many of the 'who's-who' of the Vail Valley and in other places around the globe. He's one of those guys, that even though I hadn't seen him in years, would pick up a conversation where it left off years earlier. No pretensions and no fluff with John. Fly high, helo jock. Godspeed to those John left behind.
I had the pleasure of flying with John in the spring of 2005. He was a gifted pilot and an outstanding instructor.
Chris Anderson Janesville, WI
I knew John from KFCM and Hummingbird Helis. John was always picking my brain and had an insatiable appetite for knowledge of helicopters. I considered John a friend and respected fellow aviator and always will remember him.
My fiancé David was the passenger who flying with John. David had talked about John before. They were both wonderful men.
John will remain in the memories of many ski instructors as a professional educator who sought quality in all he cliniced and supervised. I respected John.
John,
I will miss you man. Lots of great memories.
Bergie.
I knew John from the pilot forums, mostly AOPA, but didn't have the privilege of meeting him in real life. However, he was a personality on the forums for many years who I liked very much and enjoyed debating with him. He had an extremely good sense of humor.
I did not get to meet John but enjoyed his wit on VR and JH. This business lost one of the great ones. He clearly lived his passion as many of us in this industry do. He was just more positive and vocal about it and that made him a stand out.
Robert Satz
Flight is freedom in its purest form,
To dance with the clouds which follow a storm;
To roll and glide, to wheel and spin,
To feel the joy that swells within;
To leave the earth with its troubles and fly,
And know the warmth of a clear spring sky;
Then back to earth at the end of a day,
Released from the tensions which melted away.
Should my end come while I am in flight,
Whether brightest day or darkest night;
Spare me your pity and shrug off the pain,
Secure in the knowledge that I'd do it again;
For each of us is created to die,
And within me I know, I was born to fly.
Later John......
Gordy
I only knew John from his internet presence. My loss. You are never really gone as long as you are remembered.
I did not personally know John, only as Flingwing206 on the VR website. He was very helpful to the newbies, and always gave good advice.
Even without meeting John in person, I find his photos, comments and passion for what he did in life very refreshing. His wit has been described so many times in these postings... you can see it in the creation of his slide show. The Era Family is saddened by the loss - and many prayers and thoughts are with the family and friends. He's is described as one of a kind in all he did.
That in itself is rare.
I met John flying in and out of our bases along the gulf coast. He was a great guy, a great pilot. He will be missed from all his friends at Era. Fly safe where ever you are John.
I flew with John back in 2004 in Minnesota for a certificate. As we where both from the Northeast we enjoyed stories of the New Hampshire and Vermont I wished him well in his helicopter career as I felt he wanted to return and fly in that region...for which I had spent a good part of my flying life doing hospital EMS John asked various questions as how to get the required number of flight hours for employment in that type of job....seemed like he was doing just that.
I met John when he arrived at HAI, Space Coast for training. I was an instructor and I can clearly remember that I liked John right away. He had something indescribable good in him. Thank you for our many meaningful
conversations John.
Ronnie
I knew John from the Vertical Reference board, but wish I would have had the chance to meet him. He was always kind and helpful to everyone.
It is amazing a man can have spread so many memories through this amazing medium known as the Internet. I never met John but enjoyed his postings on AOPA and POA. He is missed in cyberspace also.
John was my instructor here in MN, we spent many hours in the classroom, hanger and in the air together. I will truly miss John’s knowledge, wisdom and passion for flying along with John's great personality. I remember my first solo and I remember how nervous I was, but I also remember how excited John was to watch his student go up for the first time by myself.
It assured me that I had John’s vote of confidence in my ability. John never doubted my ability and he always believed in me. I will always be thankful for having the opportunity to learn from one of the best. I can only hope that someday I will be able to contribute more to the aviation world as John did. At the time Lisa was in MI finishing up her degree and I used to ask John if it was tough living in MN while Lisa was in MI. John would tell me that it was Lisa's passion and love for animals and he wasn't going to be the one to stand in the way of that. He knew he was married to a Great woman and he always talked about you Lisa with the up most love and respect. Having never met Lisa I always knew she was a great woman. You can't be great like John unless your better half is just as great.
My only comfort is knowing that John left us doing what he loved to do and he left behind his great legacy. John has touched the lives of so many people in such a positive way it makes me proud to have known him.
Blue Skies and Godspeed John, we will never forget you!!!
I knew John as a fellow transplant to Minnesota and a dear friend. As I complained about my first winter and how crazy we all were, John would always say something that would make me laugh. I miss our chats in the hangar and hearing his unique observations on people, aviation and life. Lisa, we spend so much time talking about you and how proud he was of you, that when we met, I felt you were a close friend too. He was like an excited child planning your graduation party and your move to Minnesota. John, look down on us and know that you are loved and missed. I am so privileged to have known you!!
It was always great corresponding with John, his love for the industry and what he was doing was contagious. He has left a void in this industry and I for one appreciate the times we shared via email.
As an aspiring helicopter pilot, I always enjoyed reading John's informative postings on the vertical reference board. I never had the pleasure of meeting him in person, but I feel like I've lost a life long friend.
John may be gone, but he will never be forgotten.
I knew John for years on various pilot web boards, and he was always good for a laugh. Then I met him as my pilot on some offshore crew changes and he was just as funny and good of a guy. It's a sad day....
I never had the chance to meet John face to face, I had an extra MN Twins ticket and offered it to him but he declined because he had to go down for training. We PM'd back and forth many times, he taught me a lot through his pm's and his posts and I've yet to pull pitch but because of him I know what to ask and how to conduct myself. I'll miss his words of wisdom and his ability to teach everyone something every time he posted.
John came over often to chat at KFCM hangar about heli stuff- very curious about our aerial application work. Always had a smile, I considered John a very book smart aviator. Very curious about the Soloys-- Flew with John a few times in the 206--big grin ! he had the fever as we say. Glad to have known John.
I knew John as Flingwing206 on the Vertical Reference forums. John always provided expert guidance to new and old pilots. Goodspeed John, you are in my thoughts.
I never met John, but we exchanged numerous emails on the PPrune web site. We discussed working for Era. I never knew who you were until I learned your forum log on. I wished I had met you in person.
I had the good fortune to work and train with John in Minnesota. His endless patience and good humor steered me through my instrument rating and CFII, and his disregard for the cold of a winter there was amazing. The world has lost a great man. I'll always remember John with smile on his face, and a kind word for whomever he was dealing with. I'll miss him.
I liked John before I met him in person and when he came to Minnesota the "real thing" was even better. I enjoyed the time I spent with John chatting and flying very much. He even managed to fool me into thinking I could hover the helicopter myself. I wish more people were like him.
The aviation world is terribly saddened by the loss of John. Though few of us actually knew John, we were routinely wizened by his knowledge and the humor with which he could turn a testy debate into a warmer understanding of the issue of concern.
John was a good friend, mentor, pilot, instructor, husband and it was a pleasure to have had him in my life. I will always think of you and keep you in my heart
and soul.
I had the very distinct pleasure of having John call me a friend and also a coworker. We worked together in Morgan City, and he touched all the people around him. John never had a bad thing to say and also always had a smile on his face. John you will never forgotten.
I knew John from a long while ago on the old AOPA "Yellow" board, and was always impressed with contributions, both humorous and serious there. When I was transitioning from fixed wing to helis, we exchanged emails and John was very encouraging and helpful. Later on, after I got my rotorcraft rating, he steered me on to the Vertical Reference and Just Helicopter sites, where I always enjoyed his posts. You'll be missed, John, especially that great sense of humor.
PA Pilot
From what I could glean from his various postings on forums, John was a thorough professional, loved what he did and was a credit to our profession.
He will be missed on all the chat boards. God speed John.
John was a good friend. He was a good character, mature and serious. The way he talked made me laugh because of his sense of humor in the way he put things into words. The time I was able to share with him was short - I knew him for a few months and wish it would have been longer. I will miss you.
John, fare well...
I had the pleasure of flying with John in the spring of 2005. He was a gifted pilot and an outstanding instructor.
Chris Anderson Janesville, WI
My fiancé David was the passenger who died with John. David had talked about John before. They were both wonderful men.
As an aspiring heli pilot, reading John’s posts and stories have been a great inspiration. He taught at a school near me (Minnesota). Hearing now that he has passed hurts even though I'd never met him.
The pain of a pilot is mine, since I believe in the fact that all pilots are bros. Although I have little knowledge about John he was a good friend and a helo pilot. I like to think that he is flying over clouds without rotor-blades. Thanks for being with us John...
Cem KURKCU from Turkiye
John had become a good friend he will be sadly missed by everyone here at
VR -200.
John Had Become A Good Friend To The Guys Here At VR-200. He Will Be
Missed Dearly.
Joe Cooper
VR-200
Dispatcher
I first met John on Vermillion 200 when we stopped by for lunch during my company training. I didn't recognize him as a pilot initially because he not in uniform. None the less, he gave me the “hiking pants and a t-shirt from Colorado” platform tour with the attention to detail and professionalism which defined his character. During the seven months that I knew John I always knew that I could go to him with any question. John was a kind person. Intuitive. Intelligent. Competent. Respectful. I feel the loss with all of you. We of course will not only remember you for as long as we are on this earth but we pledge to carry a part of your spirit with us wherever we go. Godspeed my friend.
I was a student of John's up in Minnesota. Great guy, great pilot.
John I'll miss you.
Anonymous posts from the heli-boards:
"Extremely extraordinary" is all I can think of. What an excellent writer, a fantastic world class snow skier, a wonderful and caring person, a great pilot, and totally book smart to boot... “
"What an excellent post...he speaks for the best of us. I'm sad I didn't get to know him.”
I knew John from KFCM and Hummingbird Helis. John was always picking my brain and had an insatiable appetite for knowledge of helicopters. I considered John a friend and respected fellow aviator and always will remember him.
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