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10-28-2013, 07:44 PM
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: KANE, Hugo, Minnesota
Posts: 765
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Is it all worth it???
First of all, let me apologize for this depressing post. I was sitting in my office today when my secretary came running back and said "Kevin was just killed in a plane crash in Princeton." My head hit the table, along with my heart...I could hardly believe it. A family/church friend for several years was killed today when his plane crashed in the vicinity of Princeton (KPNM) airport. Investigators are unsure of what happened, whether the accident happened on departure (most likely) or on landing. His dog managed to survive the crash. This has just reopened the wounds from our recent RV family losses. Kevin was full of life, a joy to be around, and on top of his game in the business world. Cut down in the prime of life.
The prevelant thought on my mind today is "Is flying worth the risk?" I know the loss is very fresh and that is tainting my thoughts right now, but for those of you who have lost friends...what are your thoughts? I am really bummed (words cannot throughly express how we feel), I am tired of so much death being associated with such a wonderful sport/hobby. I'm not necessarily posting this to find answers...I guess I am hoping you will share your thoughts on this matter. 
PER DOUGS RULES...DONT SPECULATE ON THE ACCIDENTS IN YOUR POSTS PLEASE. I don't want this thread to become one of those.
__________________
Aaron Arvig
RV-9A
Empennage Done
Wings-In Progress
N568AK Reserved
SOLD?but I'll be back
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10-28-2013, 07:53 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Posts: 427
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aarvig
"Is flying worth the risk?"
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I'm sorry for your loss, Aaron. I first lost someone I knew in a GA crash when I was about 14. Since then, over 35 more years, including military losses, I've lost perhaps 25 more friends or acquaintances--some of them very, very close.
Each time, I ask your question. While the emotion is still raw, the answer for me is sometimes "maybe not." Within a few days though, the answer has always returned to "yes, definitely."
I use the these tragedies though to reaffirm my commitment to flying as safely as possible. After that, there's nothing else I can do.
--
Stephen
__________________
Stephen & Tyson Humphrey
father-son team building new lives and an RV-9
VAF Donors: 2008 to 2014 * Friends of the RV-1
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10-28-2013, 07:58 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Utah
Posts: 8,151
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Double your flying Aaron. For Kevin. And triple your training...
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10-28-2013, 08:03 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Collierville, TN (KFYE)
Posts: 1,433
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First, my heartfelt condolences on the loss of your friend...what a kick in the gut, as something like this always is.
In re: your question, if you have to ask that question, perhaps it's not worth the risk. For me, flying is what I'm all about and always have been. If I quit flying because I was afraid of the risk, I don't know what I'd do with myself....it's a part of who I am so quitting is a last resort and if it happens, it won't be because of risk.
__________________
RV-8 #81077 Super Slow Build
Dynon Skyview HDX, Titan IOX-370, Dual P-Mags, AFP FM200A FI, Whirlwind 200RV CS Prop
First Flight 11/20/2016
www.marksrv8.com
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10-28-2013, 08:09 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Wichita Falls, TX
Posts: 2,182
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I'm sorry for the loss of your friend. Is is worth it? That's a question I asked myself very shortly after I got my PP-ASEL and bought my first airplane. A good friend of mine who I learned to fly with had just bought his first plane too, just a couple weeks before I got mine, had an engine out after doing a low pass and attempted the impossible turn back to the runway with the usual tragic results. I even flew right over his crash site not knowing what happened until after I landed and never saw it while on short final. I helped to load the broken pieces of his plane onto a trailer out of the field the next day. I decided to keep on flying and am very glad I did. That was over 12 years ago now. My friend Kenny would not have wanted me to give up flying. The adventures I've had and the new friends I've made over the years has not made up for the loss of my friend and never could, but have made my life so much richer nevertheless. I will keep flying until the day I no longer can.
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Neal Howard
Airplaneless once again...
Last edited by Neal@F14 : 10-28-2013 at 08:13 PM.
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10-28-2013, 08:12 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: KPYM
Posts: 2,686
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vlad
Double your flying Aaron. For Kevin. And triple your training...
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Vlad, well said!
Whenever I fly to my other house in Rangeley, ME I am reminded that my good friend, Steve crashed his King Air there because they named the airport after him.
I remind myself that they wouldn't do the same for me so I must not do the same!
Recently Vlad and I flew there and remembered our good friend Tony.
Flying is what we do. We accept the risk and the challenges.
I am sorry for your loss. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine. I am certain that Kevin was a great guy and we all would have enjoyed his company!
Press on! It is what we do!
It is what Kevin would want. Steve too...
 CJ
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RV-7 Flying - 1,200 Hours in 5 Years!
The experiment works!
TMX-IO-360, G3i ignition & G3X with VP-X
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10-28-2013, 08:24 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Rochester, MN
Posts: 710
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I think it's a valid question and the answer isn't the same for all of us. I'm sorry for your loss, genuinely Aaron. You should take some time and ponder the question. My concerns are for my family, not for myself. I know what eternity has for me. I try to envision what life would be like for my family without me. What hardships would come their way. Have I prepared them financially if my income is taken out of the picture. These types of questions are foremost in my mind.
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10-28-2013, 08:24 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 4,219
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It is worth it. Here's a video of my (nearly) 3 year old son's first flight with me. His facial expressions mirror the way I feel every time I fly. (BTW, you may want to turn the volume down - neither the music or the engine noise is particularly pleasing.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWoJlEMZt88
__________________
Kyle Boatright
Marietta, GA
2001 RV-6 N46KB
2019(?) RV-10
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10-28-2013, 08:27 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Issaquah, WA
Posts: 146
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Man, I completely understand. In the last couple of years, there have been a number of crashes that have claimed the lives of people I knew; some quite well. It seems like every time I get ready to jump in the game and start flying, another plane goes down with someone I know in it. It's sobering, incredibly sad, and a major reality check to say the least. It usually makes me step back and reevaluate my priorities, which is probably why I've been hangar flying for years but haven't pulled the trigger and gotten my PPL. As much as I dream about flying and want to, I still struggle with the very real risks.
Let your emotions run their course, then reevaluate. There's a right answer for you, but it'll be tough to see when you're still hurting from the loss of a friend.
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Brandon
Issaquah, WA
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10-28-2013, 08:29 PM
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VAF Moderator / Line Boy
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Dayton, NV
Posts: 12,256
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Flying for me has never been a hobby - it is a way of life. I have lost friends and co-workers who were flying at the very outer reaches of the envelope. They dd it because it needed to be done (for the future of mankind) but no one would ever say that they didn't enjoy it as well.
To stop flying would not honor their loss - it would dishonor their memory - because they believed in flight.
And that is why we keep doing it.
Is it worth it? That is a personal decision that everyone must make - and the answer depends on how much flying is worth to you.
Sorry to hear of the loss - no matter how many times I have gone through it, it is never easy - so I understand.
__________________
Paul F. Dye
Editor at Large - KITPLANES Magazine
RV-8 - N188PD - "Valkyrie"
RV-6 (By Marriage) - N164MS - "Mikey"
RV-3B - N13PL - "Tsamsiyu"
A&P, EAA Tech Counselor/Flight Advisor
Dayton Valley Airpark (A34)
http://Ironflight.com
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