I never met Tony, I never emailed, messaged, or otherwise corresponded with him but I knew him. I knew him because his zest for life and passion for doing what we few, we happy few, indulge our yearnings for soaring above the earth and enjoying the stimulation of our senses and the humbling realization of just how finite our existence truly is when taking in the breathtaking sunsets, the morning mists settled in the hollows, that sunlit clouds all viewed, not limited by the vantage point of those who remain trapped on the surface, but from the wonder-inspiring view enabled by the view from up above.
It is a wonder worth remembering that mankind has enjoyed such privilege for just more than a century, a tiny sliver in time compared to the long march of the species on our tiny blue planet. We are truly blessed and for most of us it is a subject we hold in guarded silence, unable to express, or perhaps unwilling for, to those who have never had the opportunity or failed to take it, words remain a poor substitute. Of course we all know that for such advantages accrued there is a price to be paid, risks to be confronted, and, more often than we like to contemplate, tragedy to be met with steely resolve.
I knew Tony because he let me know, through his willingness to share, those feelings and experiences I?ve too held close; those seasonings of life that flight produces that those that know need few words to recognize and those that don?t will never know; could never know exactly what it is we are talking about.
As others have said, for those who have enjoyed this pastime for any length of time, whether professionally or merely as a recreation; I?ve had far too many friends and acquaintances who left before their time doing that which we all love.
I never met Tony but I didn?t need to for to understand the loss so keenly felt, the joy of remembrance so keenly felt, and the questions for which no answer can assuage the questions that all begin with ?Why?? I didn?t need to meet Tony because I knew him; that I did not meet him was my loss for the gain to my life such encounter would have inevitably led. But I knew Tony; He loved to fly and loved to share that joy with anyone who cared to seek his wisdom and infectious passion for the sky.
For Amy, his loved ones, and all his friends I grieve with you because I knew him, too.