It has been a couple months since I last talked to Dan, although lately he has been in the back of my mind. With my work schedule and life, somehow the nearly constant contact we used to have over the years faded. The phone call I received while in New York a couple days ago of his passing stunned me.
When I first came to live in SoCal in 1991, it was after my final national competition on my flight team in college. The man who sponsored us while we were in Louisiana had an old friend who worked out of Van Nuys and he asked me to go look him up when I got out here. I did and through him I was immediately welcomed into the tight knit aviation community here. Through him I learned many things and even had the opportunity to undertake some adventures in aviation few ever get to see, let alone do.
I remember working as an instructor and him teaching me all about aviation maintenance, airworthiness, allowing me to work under him on various peoples airplanes he maintained and flew. My attention to detail was further honed by his unwavering demand for precision and doing a good job in learning to repair and maintain airplanes, thus becoming a better pilot because of my intimate knowledge of them. Because of him, when I lost a job as an instructor because I would not fly a plane that had numerous safety problems, I was hired within 2-3 hours (no kidding) because of my honesty and professionalism, not to mention my sense of morals and responsibility.
Dan also helped me further develop what some call my innate skill in flying by showing me how better to use every inch of "the envelope" a plane has and also how to deal with getting outside it and live. These lessons served me well during my time as a flight instructor and the 9+ years I was involved in Search and Rescue.
Dan was very much an important mentor to me as I started my career in aviation. There were many nights of "debriefing" in the hangar, long after our local watering hole had closed. You could always count on Dan to have beer in the refrigerator in the hangar at just the right temperature. Our interests spanned across many topics besides aviation. We had many wonderful conversations and I will miss those.
During hangar barbeques, he would make his famous beans that would not only fill you (and do so for several days) but I swore you could fly a plane on them too.
I was told he was found in his bed, apparently passing in his sleep due to some heart problem. It is my fervent hope that he did go peacefully and gently. He is a good man, a good friend, a great pilot, and part of a breed of aviators that I fear is growing ever thinner with the passage of time. I will miss his big gregarious smile peaking out from his bushy mustache, the firm handshake, the clap on the back while pointing to the fridge to help myself to a beer (oh and get him one too).
I wish you peace Dan, rest. We will all meet again one day. Thank you for all you taught me and for being a good friend, even in tough times. So long, Blue Skies, Happy Landings, and Old Ones Keep and Watch over you. You were my first real friend here.
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