Fw: [Fists] Silent Key

Sat, 14 Jun 2003 09:59:33 -0700

FISTS,

I am very sadden at the news of Paul's (AC7QG) death.  Paul and I had many
QSO's over the last couple of years, one that stands out was a QSO on 15m
that lasted nearly 2 hours.  We chatted about everything and nothing, but,
mostly we talked about flying and amateur radio, both our passions.

I know Paul was also very active with NW FISTS (K7FFF) and have a few QSL
card's from them with his signature.  I also have a few of his own cards and
have used them to confirm Idaho for my CW WAS.

Paul will be missed by his friends on FISTS, his community, and especially
his family.  My heart goes out to them.

73 es TU Paul de Bruce WB7RHT ...-.-

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nancy WZ8C" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2003 08:45
Subject: [Fists] Silent Key

> I want to share this article about  FISTS #8697 - AC7QG. It is from the
> Bonner County Daily Bee newspaper and was sent in by Paul's code buddy,
Paul
> VE3IKS.
>
> If you'd like to send a note to AC7QG's widow, the address is
>
> Sandy Davis
> 1371 Rapid Lightning Creek Road
> Sandpoint ID 83864-4753
>
> 73
> Nancy
>
> Local pilot dies in plane crash
>
> By LUCY DUKES
> and KEITH KINNAIRD
> Staff writers
>
>      SANDPOINT -- Bonner County pilot Paul Davis was killed Sunday when
his
> plane crashed north of Sandpoint.
>      Davis, 55, and his passenger, Dan McNall, were dropping candy on a
> party for five Sandpoint High School graduates when his 1998 Aviat Husky
> A-1A plummeted to the ground in the Grouse Creek area.
>      McNall, 22, was injured and taken to Deaconess Medical Center in
> Spokane. He reportedly suffered a broken nose and possible fracture to his
> wrist, and was scheduled to be released on Monday.
>      Davis and McNall were trying to surprise the group with the afternoon
> flight and the candy when the crash happened, said Dan's sister, Jamie
> McNall.
>      "I was just sitting there...all of the sudden I heard this crash,"
said
> Jamie McNall, who has flown with Davis numerous times.
>      Her father, Alan McNall, was cooking at the time, she said. He threw
> his spatula and ran to the plane.
>      "My dad got to the plane first thing," she said.
>      But it was too late for Davis, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
>      The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation
Safety
> Board are investigating the crash. The agencies are still trying to
> determine the cause the accident, said Mike Fergus, an FAA spokesman in
> Seattle.
>      On Monday, NTSB Senior Air Safety Investigator Kurt Anderson was
> inspecting the wreckage for clues that could pinpoint what doomed the
> flight. An autopsy is also planned to determine if there was a medical
> reason why the plane went down.
>      Friends say Davis was an experienced pilot who always took the time
to
> brush up on his flying skills.
>      "He's a guy who worked on being a good pilot and always stayed
current
> (with his license requirements), which is what a lot of pilots don't do,"
> said friend and Sandpoint Airport Manager Jorge O'Leary.
>      Davis was flying a plane renown for its utility and designed for
> takeoffs and landings on short, primitive landing strips in remote areas.
> But the single-engine, fixed-winged bush plane is relatively light.
>      "There had to have been some fluky weather involved," O'Leary said.
> "His airplane is very susceptible to wind shear and wind gusts. It's a
light
> airplane with a lot of wing area."
>      Paul Davis was a lot of things to a lot of people: a firefighter, a
> pilot, a veteran, an outdoorsman, an amateur radio operator, a friend and
a
> husband. He volunteered for Bonner County Search and Rescue, in addition
to
> Northside Fire District and the Sandpoint Fire Department.
>      "Things had to always make sense to him," said Sandpoint Fire Chief
> Robert Tyler. "He always had to understand exactly how things worked and
why
> things worked."
>      Tyler also remembers how Davis would send him numerous e-mails that
> covered everything from politics to the Bonner County Airport Advisory
> Board, where Davis also volunteered.
>      "I used to get tons and tons of stuff from him," Tyler said, opening
> one of the e-mails.
>      Some were pictures, some agendas and some opinions. They're addressed
> to "Jefe," because that's what Davis called Tyler.
>      Davis was also a highly decorated Marine who served in Vietnam. He
was
> awarded a number of Purple Hearts and the distinguished Navy Flying Cross,
> according to O'Leary.
>      O'Leary said Davis shared memories of a harrowing experience in
> Vietnam. Davis was aboard a Huey helicopter when it crashed in a river,
> killing everybody but him.
>      Davis, a financial consultant by trade, could often be found the
> grounds of Sandpoint Airport, sometimes flinging tennis balls to his
beloved
> Australian shepherd, Bravo.
>      Davis was also one of the more outspoken members of the airport
board.
> He sometimes chafed at the way some county officials handled airport
> business.
>      "It's like mating elephants. Everything's done at a high level;
there's
> a lot of grunting and groaning and it takes two years for results," he
said
> in a interview a week before his death.
>
>
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