Doug Gardner N456DG

This is a post that I hate to make but I feel that Doug had many people he knew on this site. Doug and I meet through VAF.

No second guessing no arm chair quarter backing. Last Sunday morning while flying to Sebring FL from Lakeland with 6 friends (and 5 other planes) for Breakfast Doug Crashed. We were there.....in front and behind and we still search for answers as will the NTSB. It was a sad day and it all happened very quick. You give a thumbs up at the hold line and 20 minutes later your friend is gone.

It was a normal flight....one we have made many times. He was behind me and it all seemed fine when he called in his positions....nothing strange good spacing, just a horrific crash off the airport property.....so if you ask , what happened.....I have no clue. He crashed, I wish I had the answers.


For those that met Doug you knew he was a great guy and will be missed. Below is part of an e-mail from his brother to get the word out to those that are close by and knew Doug.

Sal Capra
Lakeland FL
N898SC


To all of Doug's Friends,

Thank You for your thoughts and Prayers ! Please Join Us and Celebrate Doug's Wonderful Life Next Wednesday at 2:30 PM at Crystal Beach Community Church in Crystal Beach, FL. Please pass the word as I know I may have missed some of Doug's friends and business associates in this email.

Fred Gardner

Crystal Beach Community Church
625 Crystal Beach Avenue
Crystal Beach, FL 34681

Sorry for your/our loss. That is three in two or three days. I wish we could do something to make these posts rare.

Very sad news

I met Doug while we were both still building, around 2000. We e-mailed a lot, talked on the phone on occation and spent a few days together when I was in the area on business several times, the last almost a year ago. Always a great time, even had the pleasure of spending a day flying N456DG with him.

Doug talked about his dream of flying the entire U.S. coastline, I was looking forward to doing at least some of it with him, guiding him along the Northeast coast and hopping I could find the time to do the entire trip. It would have been a great adventure with a great man.

Doug will be missed. Though it will probably wait a few years till my retirement, I'll continue to dream of flying the coast, wishing he were there.

Though not a WWII vet, Doug was a Navy man and this will make this Memorial Day a little tougher for me.

I won't be able to make the service, please pass along other information on how we can remember him

Scott A. Jordan
N733JJ

Sad day

I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend. Very sad.

This is the most horrible news.

I just now logged on and found the horrible news. Doug was an incredibly gracious and giving man. I met Doug several years ago at a Florida RV flyin. At that time, he had built one of the few 8A's that were flying. He was extremely helpful with my 8A questions and was very encouraging. When I returned to Georgia from the RV flyin, he would email me to check on my progress. When I went for some time without a post on my Kitlog site, he would email words of encouragement.

Two springs ago I was talking with him at Sun-N-Fun and it was there that we hatched the plan to fly the circumfrence of the U.S. together. We figured that others might want to join us, but we knew that we would make it the entire way around together. Since we were constantly chided by the 8guys about having a nose wheel, we talked about calling it the "8A Sissy Wheel Flyin for Respect Tour". We even figured that we would fly counterclockwise in honor of NASCAR.

Well, my building slowed down this year because I am in the middle of a divorce. Doug was very reassuring during this awful time, but I felt bad that I was delaying our round the U.S. tour. This news is devastating.

We call ourselves a family. If that is truly so, then Doug was our incredibly generous and loving big brother. The kind of brother we wanted to emulate and be near. I know that I will finish my project and that I will fly around the U.S. in Doug's honor. However, it will not be nearly as sweet as it would have been with him on my wing.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to Doug's blood family. His flying family grieves also.

PM sent....

....Steve......yep, a sad RV week!

Condolences to all,