Doug Bowles

I received this message today:

It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we, the family of Douglas Bowles, inform you of his passing. Doug died on Sunday, November 9, 2008, as the result of a plane crash. Lost with Doug were his grandson Joshua, whom he loved very much, as well as two friends, Dre and David. Our hearts go out to all the families involved.

We are gathering to celebrate Doug's life and share stories on Friday, November 14 at 5:00 p.m. at the
Mile High Airport Cafe at the Hesperia Airport, 7070 Summit Valley Road, Hesperia, 92345. Please join us and pass the information along to any others that knew Doug and might like to attend. In the event you are unable to attend and would like us to share your thoughts or comments, please email us. If there are any questions, please call us at Doug's home (760)947-9350.

Sincerely,
Doug's Family

Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 5:23 PM
Subject: Re: Regarding a Memorial Service for Doug Bowles

This day will be burned into my memory for the shock and sadness at the loss of Doug. I cannot attend the Memorial as I am now retired in Arkansas. We met in 1978 after I was transferred from St. Louis to MDAC-West in Huntington Beach. Doug was a Manager in the Division where I was assigned. They had a flying club and although I was not a pilot I joined and learned to fly in the club's Cessna 150s and 172s. After I got my Private Pilot Certificate I rented the club's airplanes and was gradually expanding the locations where Jeanine and I would go on weekends. I had the club's new Piper Archer II scheduled for the weekend of October 30 and 31, 1982 and we were looking forward to a trip somewhere when I received a call from Doug. He said that the club was starting a new "Fly-in" program and all of the aircraft were reserved for the first trip to the Furnace Creek Inn at Death Valley. As you might guess I was not pleased with this disruption in our plans. Doug told me that if I signed up to participate in the fly-in he would assign the Archer (N8304L) to me but I would have to take two passengers and baggage with us. To this point I had been a loner and was not interested but I discussed it with Jeanine and we reluctantly decided to go. It was one of the best decisions of my life. Over 50 people participated in that first fly-in and it started the best series of adventures and friendships I have ever known in my 72 years. With Doug as our leader we started on this spectacular adventure that went to:

Death Valley several times
Riding at the Lazy-K-Bar ranch in Tucson
Skiing at Lake Tahoe
Hotel Serenedad in Mulege, Mexico several times
Rafting on the American River near Placerville, California
Train riding and Chuck Wagon Show at Durango, Colorado twice
Tombstone, Arizona
Casinos and shows at Lake Tahoe
Guaymas, Mexico several times
Yosemite National Park twice
Meling Ranch, Mexico
Canoeing the Russian River at Healdsburg, California
The National Air Races in Reno, Nevada twice
Lake Havasu, Arizona twice
Canyon De Chelly, Arizona
Three different dude ranches in several different years at Wickenburg, Arizona
Sedona, Arizona twice
Alamos, Mexico
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Gilroy Garlic Festival, California
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Zion Canyon, Utah
Skunk Train, Willits, California
Mammoth, California
Rio Bravo, California
Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Pismo Beach, California
Pima Air Museum and desert park in Tucson, Arizona
Silver City, New Mexico
Monterey, California
Chaco, Canyon, New Mexico
Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
Loreto, Mexico
White Mountain, Bishop, California
Canyonlands and Arches National Parks at Moab, Utah
Jet boating on the Rogue River at Gold Beach, Oregon
Capital Reef National Park, Utah
San Jose, California
Chiriaco Summit, California
Columbia, California
Bisbee, Arizona
Hood River, Oregon
Los Alamos, New Mexico

We carried on our flying adventures for years until the aerospace industry in Southern California started to fade and the effects of time forced change in our blissful lives forever. I tried to resurrect this kind of flying activity but even though I had been inspired by the master I did not have Doug's ability to inspire people to do something outside their small sphere of routine life. Doug and I still communicated by e-mail from time to time though we haven't seen each other for many years. I never met anyone like Doug Bowles and I don't expect to in the future. He was unique and I will miss him.

Bob Axsom

Sympathies

Bob,
My sympathies go out to you today. Mr. Bowles obviously had a profound impact upon your life, and may you be comforted with many happy memories of him. That list of places you've flown to is a testament of how much he enjoyed flying as well as his fellow aviators.
Sincerely,
Don Hull

Very Sorry to Hear...

Bob,

Both myself and Louise are very sorry to hear of this Bob - I can tell that your friend affected many lives for the better. We were very near where Doug went down on Sunday, and overheard discussions of a missing aircraft in the area, but no details. Our sympathy is with you and all of his family and friends.

Paul

Bob, you are fortunate indeed to have had a friend such as Doug.

To the family, friends, and associates of Doug, may I express my deepest regret and sincere condolences at your loss, and my prayer that the Angels of Heaven may be round about you to buoy you up in your deepest grief and sorrow, and assure you that if we live right, in another time and place we will be reunited with our families and friends who have gone before us, where death has no sting, and the grave has no victory.

Peace, my friends.

Joe

Clear Skies

Bob,

I was saddened to hear that Doug has passed on. I recall many of the flights that you listed with great fondness. How many times did Doug amaze us with his feats in Baja (Not to mention his world class Margaritas)? I read that his flight plan was from Baja to Hesperia, I'll bet he left his second home at Gonzaga Bay.

Our world is less without him. Clear skies to you and Janine.

With saddness but great memories,

Michael

MIKE!

It is so good to hear from you after all these years. I'm glad you got the word. Things are good for us in retirement but those times were magical and you in "71Charlie" helped make them so.

Bob Axsom
[email protected]

Friends That HavePassed On

Bob:

My condolences to you and especially Doug's family. I too have, and have had friends of this magnitude.

Reading Paul Dye's recent experiences on flying around the West Coast brings back many memories of my time at the West Coast Space Port, Vandenberg AFB, CA., just up the coast from Los Angeles.

I know that you were part of the "Space Race" too. May we all leave a legacy that others can look back on.

Looking forward to your next "knot" of speed gain!

Message from San Felipe, Mexico

I received this message today from Javier in San Felipe, Mexico - Bob Axsom

this is javier at sfe airport me and all the people that work at the airport send you our condolences for the douglas accident, we hope that you understand us i dont write good in english but we are going to tell you in spanish,-
AEROPUERTO INTERNACIONAL SAN FELIPE.- TRABAJADORES AMIGOS DE DOUG.-
JAVIER, ISMAEL, MARIO, GEORGE, ADONIS, ROLANDO, HORTENCIA, MARTIN, ALEX, JAVIER FUEL, VALO, NUESTROS MAS SICERO PESAME PARA LA FAMILIA Y PARA TODOS SUS AMIGOS, VAMOS A EXTRANAR A UN GRAN AMIGO.

Translation

Bob Axsom said:

I received this message today from Javier in San Felipe, Mexico - Bob Axsom

this is javier at sfe airport me and all the people that work at the airport send you our condolences for the douglas accident, we hope that you understand us i dont write good in english but we are going to tell you in spanish,-
AEROPUERTO INTERNACIONAL SAN FELIPE.- TRABAJADORES AMIGOS DE DOUG.-
JAVIER, ISMAEL, MARIO, GEORGE, ADONIS, ROLANDO, HORTENCIA, MARTIN, ALEX, JAVIER FUEL, VALO, NUESTROS MAS SICERO PESAME PARA LA FAMILIA Y PARA TODOS SUS AMIGOS, VAMOS A EXTRANAR A UN GRAN AMIGO.

Click to expand...

My best effort at translation:

"San Felipe International Airport Worker friends of Doug-
JAVIER, ISMAEL, MARIO, GEORGE, ADONIS, ROLANDO, HORTENCIA, MARTIN, ALEX, JAVIER FUEL, VALO

Our most sincere thoughts for the family and all their friends, we are going to miss a great friend."


Hans