Is flying dangerous? Is death hard?

In the last few years I have watched a mate of mine die, watched a colleague do the same and had to hear the news of the deaths of three other pilots whom I knew.  It is a certainty that flying is risky.  A few weekends ago a parachutist died at Virginia Airshow- I didn’t know him, but it once more brought home that what I am involved in caries a penalty for the enjoyment delivered.

How would you want to die?  Doing something you love?  I don’t think that I’d like to die flying, climbing or kayaking.  A good mate of mine was killed a month or two ago.  Not flying.  He died whilst trying to figure out what was wrong with his vehicle- a truck hit it whilst he was in front of it as he was on the side of the road.  He never had an inkling that it would be the last instant or day; we spoke earlier and he joked that I should leave a will with all my tools to him.  A few hours later he was gone.

A good way to go; no pain, no angst, no wondering what its going to be like to hit the ground in a few seconds.  Still, I’d like to have the time perhaps to recall all those that mean something to me; time to pass on my own messages of love- they may never know, but at least I’ll know.

Would you like the same?

I’ve held my dads hand as he took his last breath, and watched his eyes take in the last images, saw the love he had for me and our family.

I’ve done some questionable things in my life, and I have done some great things;  I have lived I think.

I have danced in the clouds and in the wild water, and I have been lucky enough to have been loved by a most magnificent woman.

Flying is dangerous, loving is dangerous, but if you cannot do the things that bring you life then is it really worth living, and have you made the most of the time that you have?

The little boy that tied plastic packets around his legs to be able to wade a flooded sandpit has felt hurt, joy, ecstasy, sadness, despair and has lived pretty well, if sometimes hard, in spite, and because, of it all.

He never stops learning more about life…  thank you Bob for all that you gave to us by sharing your knowledge – a small tribute to Bob Hoover, who ran a blog that dealt mostly with VW Engines.  He also died recently, of cancer (see http://bobhooversblog.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=9)  or just the last post at http://bobhooversbolg.blogspot.com

Jay