In memorium: Rob Davie, aka BigJetDriver

[Natasha]

While we are all on individual journeys, our love of the water makes us kindred spirits… We are fortunate that occasionally our paths cross in exotic locations as well as this medium where we enjoy hangar flying to borrow a term from one of my other hobbies…. Of course, it makes it all the more difficult when someone that we care about moves on to the next realm…

I started diving and flying when I was a teenager. I was driven to do both as they occupy a place in my heart where I take my internal marching orders from… That desire of the heart thing that I try my best to follow….

Fortunately diving for the most part has been a spectacular bonus in my life… Flying was my first love and holds that special place in my heart but on the other hand, it also brought much more misery in my life than I thought was possible… I started flying aerobatics around 1990 and for the first ten years flying air shows over 30 of my friends hit the ground and died….

Being a diver, pilot and fellow Texan, I felt like BJD was certainly a kindred spirit… Here is a poem that I wrote to celebrate the lives of so many of my friends that have Crossed the Chasm of Life before me…. Forgive the length, but to paraphrase Mark Twain, I did not have time to make it shorter…

Crossing the Chasm of Life
©Geryl Mortensen

When I pull 8 Gs to rocket vertical in a missing man formation at show center, I do so in remembrance and honor of fellow aviators that have crossed the chasm from this life to the next…

While I know what it means to me, I can only hope that those watching equate the display as a celebration of life that was lived at full throttle bound only by the limits of the realm we all live within… Hopefully the remembrance of the life that we honor will draw attention to the precious gift of the moment that defines our existence…

When I descend into the abyss I am overwhelmed with the majesty of the deep… The freedom from gravity and the magic of the deep perhaps provides a small taste of what it must be like to be free of the limits that define our realm…

As I live in the gift of the moment that defines my life, I know that one day I’ll cross the chasm from this life into the next and all the limits that I know and respect will cease to exist for me…. I hope that the Lord has wings waiting for me and when I cross the chasm into the next realm of eternity I will no longer be bound by the limits of my earthly realm…

Hopefully eternal life is all this and more, otherwise how would I get over losing the precious gift of the moment that we all have now…. For now, I’ll cherish the love, beauty and wonder that surrounds me in this realm and not worry about the past or muse over the future because I believe that if I live my life within the gift of the moment, that crossing the chasm of life will not be that big of a leap when the time comes….

For now, as life is currently defined by time, life is this moment, and with that understanding I live each moment full throttle with no regrets for it is the things that we do not do that we look back and regret when our moments here come to an end…

I can’t help but wonder what it must be like for those that have crossed the chasm of life before me as time and distance as we know it must be different, perhaps it no longer exists…For now, I’ll choose to live each moment and be thankful for the gift of life. Hopefully the gift continues with wings from the Lord that will allow me to explore the stars in heaven and the depths of the sea but as His gift of life is so good now, I’ll put no limits on what my future holds in that life and be thankful for the moment that I have now…

Today as I pull vertical with smoke on, I celebrate the life of those that lived theirs full throttle… I am thankful that we were kindred spirits and shared moments of life together in this realm… May wings of freedom and an eternity of love await them in heaven….

Blue Moon:
Very nice..I'm sure Rob would have liked it too.

 

[Sasquatch]

I just saw this thread and I'm stunned.

I have a short list of people on Scuba Board that I really enjoy reading and Rob was on that list. He always impressed me with what he wrote and the way he wrote it. Passing from this life is merely another adventure.

Dave

 

[ScubaTexan]

http://www.nbc5i.com/news/9149830/detail.html

There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever -- Rob helped the pilot land this plane safely...

 

[DandyDon]

As this is a Memorium thread, I'd like to note that the on going comments have been very uplifting these past days. Reading his wife's description of his life made me admire Rob even more and wish I'd known him better.

Yeah, I'm sure Rob was with that planes skipper in spirit as he circled Houston and landed on flat tires, as it is with us today.

 

[H2Andy]

just a reminder that Rob's memorial will be tomorrow. unfortunately, i will
not be able to attend, as others who wish to be there won't be able to attend

i will be there in spirit, as i know Rob will be too


I Did Not Die

Do not stand at my grave and forever weep.
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn’s rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and forever cry.
I am not there. I did not die.

Melinda Sue Pacho

 

[Natasha]

just a reminder that Rob's memorial will be tomorrow. unfortunately, i will
not be able to attend, as others who wish to be there won't be able to attend

i will be there in spirit, as i know Rob will be too


I Did Not Die

Do not stand at my grave and forever weep.
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn’s rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and forever cry.
I am not there. I did not die.

Melinda Sue Pacho

I'll be there with 3 others. Tell Melinda very nice poem.

 

[Natasha]

In November of 2005 I went to Europe for 3 weeks. I had a few PMs with Rob about my trip.
I shared them with my fellow Mods, and asked them if I should share them here. They all said yes. I have never posted a Private Message before this. But, they felt Rob would have been honored that I post this.
This PM just shows once again how helpful Rob always was to everyone he knew.

 

[Natasha]

Re: More...

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Quote:
Originally Posted by BigJetDriver69
Quote:
Originally Posted by Natasha
Any hints on combating Jet lag? What do you do?
Also, are you flying out of IAH this Sunday?


Soft ear-plugs, a set of "blinders", and comfortable clothing are the kit you need.

No alcohol or coffee, just water, and eat very little. Nap as much as possible. When you get there, throw your stuff in the room and go out. Grit it out until normal time to sleep for that locale, and then hit the hay.

That works the best, but nothing will make you feel "normal" except time in that locale. The body adjusts one time zone per day. By the time you are ready to come back, you'll be adjusted to "over there"!

I'll be in the airport around 1600 hours to get ready for my trip, how about you?

Rob

 

[ScubaTexan]

This is the philosophy that I have tried to live, and I feel certain it is the same one in which Rob lived his life. A copy of this story is on the bulletin board in my office at my church (I am the Sunday School superintendent):

The Starfish

There was a young man walking down a deserted beach just before dawn. In the distance he saw a frail old man. As he approached the old man, he saw him picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back into the sea. The young man gazed in wonder as the old man again and again threw the small starfish from the sand to the water. He asked, "Old man, why do you spend so much energy doing what seems to be a waste of time?"

The old man explained that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun.

"But there must be thousands of beaches and millions of starfish!", exclaimed the young man. "How can you make any difference?"

The old man looked down at the small starfish in his hand and as he threw it to the safety of the sea, he said, "I made a difference to this one."

-- Loren Eisley

 

[Queen]

I just saw this and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.