Blue Skies my friends

[Mmo]

For Michael

Honour is a gift a man gives himself; and following a long career, if still alive, it is all we have to show for what we have done. for as pilots, we don't build, create or improve anything in the world around us.

It was five years ago that I first met Michael Bracht. I was a Lear 35 and Citation 2 First Officer at Canada Jet, back when that was still a fun job. My class One Instructor rating was still valid, so I did a little moonlighting at Centennial Flight School. Instructor Ratings mostly, but also some supervision of class 4 instructor's students, and it was during the course of a private pre flight test that we met. He was a stock broker at the time, who had decided to get out of what was becoming a lucrative career in favour of a change for what he really wanted. Just turning thirty years old, he had a steadfastness that held true right through all his flight training. We chatted for over three hours, never made it into the air that day, and not just because I had been up all night on a medi-vac flight and didn't think I should be in another airplane (a story he retold often, at my expense).

We became friends because he was humble and confident, funny but trustworthy, and had the most perfect and realistic outlook on life I have ever seen. many pages have i taken from his book, and am richer for having known him.

I helped him get his first instructor job, at my old flight school, where he did his rating and won students and management over with his easy confidence, and natural ability. Michael Bracht could walk into a room and change the energy for the better.

later, due to his cool, charm and hard work on the ramp, he secured himself a position in the right seat of a King Air 200, with Northern Thunderbird Air. I was so happy to hear this, thinking that a turbine job with a good operator would launch his career, keep him alive. The chief pilot is a friend of mine, as are others there.

With only a couple of months on the job, he and the Captain set out on a VFR trip to Smithers, no passengers, nice day for flying. they made it about 30 miles North of Squamish. I like to think they had smiles on their faces, just a couple of young pilots, enjoying what it's really like to be an aviator.

Michael Bracht, i love you like a brother man. You were, are one of my favourite people, in or out of this goddamn industry. I think sometimes that if I can keep a little bit of you alive in me, then maybe I can keep you around a little longer, you know? I called your cell phone, well after the fact; there you were, as big as ever. I left a weepy bloody message. I called your parents last night, and we are all to fly out from Toronto to set your affairs in order. I envision us going through your apartment, dissasembling what was so quickly taken from you, from us; it's going to be hard.

To a first class aviator, it's been a pleasure, let's do it again some time.

Sincerely,

Mark Andrew Bennett

[Main Gear]

Great post my friend.

[. ._]

Ditto, a great tribute.

[loopy]

Thanks for sharing your memories of Michael with us. We'll all meet down the road on the other side, at a little bar, at a beautifull little airport, where it's always CAVOK and the beer is always cold.

Cheers boys. Rest in peace.

[twinpratts]

A touching letter... may those whose lives he touched be filled with happy memories of his time with them.

[KAG]

Beautiful letter Mmo.

As pilots, we don't build, create or improve anything in the world around us.

It sure sounds like Michael did maybe not in things you can see, touch and feel, but in spirit.
Sounds like he had it in abundance.


Clear skys and calm winds...

[wanpaku]

That is what it is all about. Friends and family, really, in the end, are all that matter. Excellent post my friend, excellant post!!!

[Wasn't Me]

Just wanted to thank you for sharing.

This is a nature of our business.

[v6g]

Mike was my instructor for my PPL, night and until he got his great new job this summer, my CPL. He didn't like leaving a job-half-done, he was a professional of his art. We were so happy for him to be getting what he wanted in aviation. He worked for it. He earnt it.

Last Friday, I was hoping to hear he was fine - I was looking forward to hearing his stories of adventure waiting on a mountside for rescue. "I never want to eat any more of those friggin biscuits in the emergency pack" is what he would have said.

There was that time I commented that when the strobes flashed in our little 152, the fuel gauge showed a slight jump. He responded in his cool, calm voice, "Yeah ... that's an old bush pilot trick, when you're running low on fuel just switch the landing light on!". That was his humour.

I had some good times with you Mike, some of the best days in my life I shared with you.

Thank you.

Farewell.

[Mmo]

It does help, seeing how many of us have viewed this, and responded to it.

The service for Michael Bracht will be in Toronto on Tuesday August 9th, and one in Vancouver as much as 3 weeks later, i shall update here.

Mmo

[Hedley]

It is a sad fact that over time, you will lose friends in this business.

A pilot I know, Freddy Cabanas, told me he'd lost 56 pilot friends over the years, and that was a while ago. It's probably over 60 now with Ian Groom, Bobby Younkin and Jimmy Franklin, etc.

Get a copy of Fate Is The Hunter by Ernie Gann. He was probably the best pilot author there ever was. Open up the front cover, and look at the number of pilot friends he lost over the years, in his dedication.

http://www.aboutteens.org/BookReviews/book19.htm

[v6g]

Get a copy of Fate Is The Hunter by Ernie Gann. He was probably the best pilot author there ever was. Open up the front cover, and look at the number of pilot friends he lost over the years, in his dedication.

- I am indeed reading that very same book. I finished chapter 3 last wednesday night. I think it will be some time before I start chapter 4.

[Yoyoma]

great tribute!

[v6g]

From Today's Vancouver Sun:

Michael Edgar Bracht
BRACHT _ Michael Edgar January 18, 1971 - July 28, 2005 It is with heavy hearts that the Bracht family announces the tragic death of Michael in a plane crash on Thursday, July 28 near Squamish, BC. Beloved son of Ed and Libby, cherished brother of Lindsay and Andrew, brother-in-law of John McKeown, beloved uncle to Meghan, Griffin and Brooke McKeown. Michael was treasured by many aunts, uncles and cousins and endless friends. A graduate of Upper Canada College, Michael spent many summers at Kilcoo Camp. He was exceptionally fond of the family cottage and cherished the Canadian outdoors from Ontario to BC. Michael graduated from Trent University in 1993. Following a few years of working and living in Toronto, he moved to Vancouver where he passionately pursued his dream in life and became a pilot. Michael was an extremely humble and genuine person who enriched the lives of everyone who knew him. A service and reception to celebrate Michael's life will be held on Monday, August 29, 2005 at 4:00 pm at the Arbutus Club, 2001 Nanton Ave in Vancouver. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) BC c/o Charles Pachal, 421 Able Place, Kelowna, BC V1Z 3E1
Published in the Vancouver Sun from 8/6/2005 - 8/8/2005.

[Cat Driver]

An excellent tribute to a fallen comrade.

As I reach the end of a long career in aviation it never gets any easier to accept that some of us will fall victim to fate, over the years the number has become blurred in my memory, but the pain we share never blurs.

Cat

[Johnny]

Mike,

Goodbye from a fellow Kilcoo camper.

It seems like so many years ago...

Rip Ram Razzle Scram

J