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R.G. Smith - Pilot and Father has passed.

C

crashaz

Pearl Harbor Project developer
Staff member
OK everyone.. take your favorite beverage and a toast to my father.

He passed away last night... heart could not keep going.

Not a time of sadness or anger.

A time for remembrance.

My Dad Roy... always wanted to be remembered first as a pilot.

So hence: Roy Smith - Worlds Greatest Pilot. :ernae:

All pilots want to be remembered as the best though don't they?:icon_lol:

Stubborn man... great pilot.

6000 + hours from Cubs and Citabrias to Aztecs and King Air 200s

True story... I had to have been 21 - 22 then....

Many years ago.. after they took his medical when he developed diabetes, he flew one final time to help a friend ferry a cropduster back from Iowa. Like he was going to say no! As he flew into Arizona.. ran into Monsoons and flew around them.. fuel dangerously low because of wind and a non-direct route.
He always buzzed over the farm to let us know to go pick him up at the airport. VOOOOM!

That night was a dark night... post monsoon storm, no moon. After he buzzed the house he headed for the airport ... and so did we.

When we got there... he was nowhere to be found.. we circled around.. looking???

Out of the darkness he comes walking across the runway..as he got closer... all you could see were teeth. The smile was that big.:icon_lol:

Turns out that while beginning the turn into the base leg... the engine coughed then quit... out of fuel. He calmly shuts down the power and listens for the shudder of the stall... takes the energy of the plane and his eyes adjusting for the darkness.

Lands the cropduster ( not known for their great instrumentation) in the desert short of the airfield. Too dark to see... he makes the call about what happened and we head home.

Next morning we go out early to see how the aircraft did. He landed it in desert that had reclaimed farmland... there were old ditches partially filled with sand. Enough to rip out the undercarriage easily. He landed the plane in a area bordered on all four sides by ditches and trees.
Not a scratch on the plane... he stopped just short of one of them ditches. They had to tow the plane out of there to the airfield.

I hear the owner of the cropduster ask... 'How the hell did he do that??'

He winks at me.

Roy Smith - World's Greatest Pilot :ernae:
 
Crashaz,

My condolences.

May his soul rest in peace and may his sleep be awesome and filled with great memories.

Thanks for an awesome story. He must have been an amazing dad.

:guinness:


Bill
 
A toast to a great man, pilot, and father. :ernae: God bless your family now and always.
 
Crashaz;
I lost my Father, who was also a Great Pilot, back in '70. Hopefully they both are enjoying the "Wild Blue Yonder" to their hearts content.
To the R.G. Smith Family, I offer my deepest condolences.
Charles.
 
crashaz said:
OK everyone.. take your favorite beverage and a toast to my father.
Click to expand...

300px-Jar-and-Cup-Ovaltine-2006.jpg




crashaz said:
I hear the owner of the cropduster ask... 'How the hell did he do that??'

He winks at me.

Roy Smith - World's Greatest Pilot :ernae:
Click to expand...

the great ones always make it look easy, don't they? :medals:
R.I.P. :medals: :USA-flag:
 
Into the lofty heights he did soar,
on wings of wood and wire.
No greater pilot did tour,
this land of muck and mire.

Lifted now to a heavenly sky,
and on wings of light and cloud.
For you we shall not cry,
but tell your tale out loud.

Rest in Peace, R.G. Smith.

crashaz, my condolences to you and yours at the loss of your father. Remembering him, and sharing tells of his life and times, is the best way to honor him and keep his memories alive.

OBIO
 
What a wonderful way to view your father's passing. Your attitude says a great deal that is good about you and him.

Although he is gone, he will never be forgotten.

He would be proud of you!

:icon29: :icon29: :icon29: :icon29:
 
Crashaz,
Got a 40-oz Bud in the fridge for later on tonight, I'll hoist a glass for your Dad. I'm sure he's flying around up there as we speak. :engel016:
 
Thanks everyone,

Dad got me into this whole aviation and history thing as a child.
It was our thing... only him and I stayed up late watching movies and reading the same books and sharing notes.

I got to spend a lot of time with him this past year watching tons of war movies, aircraft movies, westerns and such. Not too many people get to spend their father's last year together with them.

Wasn't always easy.. he was ornery... but I am glad I was able to have him live with me.

So I will be back to building in FS soon... to continue the aviation legacy of the family. :wavey:
 
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