Plane missing in Antarctica

[TA/RA]

Our thoughts are with with all 3 families this morning. I did not have the pleasure of knowing Mike or Perry. But Bob did my DHC6 training back in '05 and to this day it was the most rewarding and enjoyable experience of my career. Today we lost a gentleman whose experience, gentlemanly class and worldly stories we wont ever be able to replace. Such an unexpected tragedy for the entire aviation community.

Stay safe everyone, I am sure Bob is looking down now to lead us, Mike is looking down to guide is and Perry is watching to make sure everything is running tickety boo.

[flyinthebug]

F*ck!!!!! Not the news I was hoping to wake up to. RIP Bob and crew. You are gone but never forgotten my friend.
My thoughts and prayers are with the families today. RIP GBNF

[blueoval56]

RIP boys.

[I WAS Birddog]

...............thank you Bob for the most soothing words of support when my family and I needed it the most.

I'm so sorry Lucy.

My condolences to the families of the crew.

[Level@3000]

Rest in peace men.

[xsever]

My condolences to everyone involved and may they rest in peace.

So long fellow pilots!

[TopperHarley]

Makes me sick to my stomach, Bob & his crew will be dearly missed

[xsbank]

Goodbye, J.C. You will be missed. A true legend. I am sorry that I didn't know your companions but they too will be missed.
Thank you also to all those who tried so hard to rescue them - your sacrifice is one of the things that makes our grouchy little group redeemable. Somebody has to go in and pick up our friends - thank you.

[niss]

I've been following this very closely, and am blown away. My deepest condolences to the family and friends. Godspeed

[groncher]

RIP Gentlemen! Deepest condolences to the families and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

[Changes in Latitudes]

I just don't know what to say, Bob lived a hundred lives compared to the average person.

This was one of the most civil threads I've ever read on avcanada, and how fitting that it was all over Bob and his crew. A true aviator, my heart goes out to the families, friends and colleagues.

My best to everyone.

[dash8311]

Bob administered my initial PPC on the Twin Otter in 2006. A true professional, teacher, and gentlemen in every sense. A great loss for our industry as a whole.

I did not have the pleasure of meeting the other two gentlemen on board. A very sad day and my condolences to their families.

[Spinner]

Not the news I wanted to hear when I woke up this morning. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the families.

[Sulako]

About 10 years ago, AvCanada had a site redesign. With the redesign, some more moderators were added. In the mod cave, I started a topic called "Introduce yourself here" so that we might get to know the new mods a little better.

Here's what Bob posted to the new mods, on April 17th, 2004:

--------
My name's Just Curious and I'm an..... oooops! Wrong Meeting

I call myself just curious, because for the most part, I am not particularly interested in jumping ship, since the only game in town with any stability above where I am now would be to fly seasonally for Conair (Mrs Curious worries about bombers) or WestJet (and I haven't ruled that out. ). In any case, I get to wear a leather jacket to work in the summer, so it's not all bad.

I'm sitting at about 22000 hours right now. Lots and lots of time on Beeches (90, 10, 99) and the Mighty Twin Otter. About 15,000 between the two. I fly for Kenn Borek in both the Arctic, and Antarctic. This does not necessarily mean that I am bi-polar. Periodically, when I'm not at one end or the other, I will ferry one of our machines from Calgary to Asia, South America, or across Canada.

For the most part my job is flying to one of a dozen Inuit villages in my part of the Arctic, carrying everything you need to keep a small town running. Or tourists to pristine remote locations to raft kayak canoe or climb them. Or... mad scientists to the sea ice, the top of Mt Logan. Everyday is different. Wheels, tundra tires, floats, skiis, sometimes all on the same day.

I flew for quite some time in North Western Ontario, doing much the same with more Medevacs, only the passengers were predominantly Cree instead of Inuit. Met my wife on a medevac. Turns out customer service skills are useful after all! While I know a lot of the Forum Posters only by their user name, I flew with Doc... hired him even!

I was in New Brunswick running a really small charter/flying school for five years, living on generic kraft dinner. I was introducing an Flying Scholarship course to the wonderful world of 172's when Duke Elegant roared down the runway in YCH, spewing bits of an R2800 as the TBM roled along at 300 knots. I manage to apply the skills of an instructor every day at work. Odd for a bush pilot I know.

I did my commercial and instructor rating at Moncton, before the College programs, aside from Seneca, Con, and Sault. I was a year into university, when I realized I couldn't wait four years to start flying for a living. Of course, I was flying 1000 hours a year when I realized that to do the job of a pilot manager, I had to go back to school. Doing a BComm while flying full-tilt wasn't the easiest thing, but it's something I can apply.

I was an Air Cadet from the time I was 12 (lied about my age.) Did the Tech Training Glider and Power Scholarship, taught gliding for two summers, towed gliders for one summer, and taught the Powered Scholarship for 4 summers. Sadly in the Western Arctic, there are no Air Cadets, only Jr. Rangers...

For the most part, I do training and line indoc of new hires, as well as upgrade training for senior co-pilots, as well as the training and tricks of the trade for captains to be able to fly "off-strip" ie... no runway. Sadly, a lot of the people I flew with over the last decade have gone off to WJ, and I'm too old to try to match drinks with the people I fly with these days.

I found the "your right seater..." string to be utterly amazing, since in the last 18000 two crew hours, I've only had two F/Os not really work out, and with both, it was a matter of them maturing, which they finally did, since both are WJ captains now. Presumably, Capt S N J managed to work with all the bad co-pilots in Canada, for which I thank him. Come to think of it, I've always had great Nurses Paramedics and Bird-dog officers as well. Musta been lucky.

It's been easy for me to be objective about a lot of the posts on the board. I've got a good job, and I'm home every night when I'm home. If I can help someone else get a good job, or a better one, why not? In th end, when I'm eating my bowl of mush at the Old Folks home (hopefuly in Mexico, or someplace warm ) I won't remember the airplanes as much as the crews I've flown with.

Flying can be a drudgery. I suppose. But flying with a narcoleptic who kept falling asleep on approach to landing atop Mt. Logan, having someone give birth in the back of a Navajo, bailling out an engineer who got arrested in South America (missing passport, woman, alcohol, much screaming, you get the idea) Flying inthe Arctic on monday Golfing in Scotland on wednesday, and seeing the Pyramids two days later, with a co-pilot who has basically never been out of a small island village in his life... It hasn't been boring. Even today, we did a rescue of a mad scientist and a helicopter pilot who had been out counting polar bears. Oil pressure indication problems had sat them down on the sea ice, with a dozen pissed off bears around when we came in to get'em.

Eventually, I'll retire or drive the big iron, but until then, I remain, just curious,

------------------------------

[lilfssister]

Thanks for posting that Sulako-gave me my first smile of this horrible day. Condolences to the families of the whole crew.

[Siddley Hawker]

Not good news to wake up to. Condolances to the family, colleagues and friends of Bob and his crew. RIP guys.

Mods, it might be a good idea to open a separate thread for condolance and remembrance. This one has served its purpose and may be better left to the inevitable speculation.

Thanks for that post Sulako.

[Mig29]

I just went through all 10 pages and was hoping to eventually read positive outcome until I hit page 9.... I should have skipped the dammed page this morning

My sympathies go out to all families in this tragic loss.

Thank you Sulako for that post....he truly was a great individual that any pilot would want to fly with even for a day

[the cool one]

How poetic he was!

Out of an air disaster rise the history of a life lived to its fullness. A life lived with high principles, morals and standard. An example for all of us to follow.

My condolences to all the families.

God Bless, Bob.

[B-rad]

Bob will forever be in our hearts and his legacy will be passed down for generations.
I truly am at a loss of words.
You are missed Bob Heath.

Thank you for that post Sulako. It is a privilege to read it and good reflection of his wonderful attitude that brought him a lifetime of "being lucky". May he rest in peace.

[toelessjoe]

Truly saddened by this news. R.I.P. gentlemen and to all the families involved my heartfelt sympathies.

[KAG]

Thanks for that Sulako.
I flew along side Bob but never with him as I was a Beech Bitch.
He had some great common sense advice that kept me out of trouble
When I was new to YEV.
He was always positive, upbeat and a hard worker with a sharp whit.
A tremendous loss to Borek/Aklak, the north and our AvCanada family.
RIP Bob.

[shamrock104]

Second to their families these guys were taken away while doing something they truly loved and were expert at. A gentle reminder that if it can happen to the best it can just as easily happen to the rest of us. To the families and friends left behind I would like to offer my condolences.

[ditar]

Such terrible news. My condolences to the families and friends of all the men.

[B-rad]

To the families of Perry Andersen and Mike Denton, my sincere condolences.
Such brave and adventurous souls to be traveling the far reaches of the earth. In dreams you will find them as thats where they passed, while living their dreams.

[Doc]

I'll miss you old friend.
Thoughts are with family and friends.
So sorry to hear this news.
Not very often does a pilot like Bob cross your path. If he crossed yours, cherish the memories. You will not soon know another.
I feel privileged to have known him.