FLYBOYJ´s new sortie

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What a sad thread. I started reading through yesterday and from the initial post I had a horrible sinking feeling. I read Joes symptoms out to my missus who's a 25 year served nurse and I could tell from her face that things didn't look at all good. But to follow through the thread and find he'd passed so soon was a real gut punch. Its a strange world, this surreal one of typed words and distant relationships on forums. But things like this remind me that we are ACTUAL people behind our keyboards. To the many of you who also knew Joe in 'real life', that's painfully obvious of course.

Joes not here anymore, so I don't have the opportunity to wish him well on what was sadly his last sortie. So my sympathies and best wishes are with all of you who knew him and clearly loved him as a friend. It strikes me that a forum like this, and the key people who add to it, maintain it and harbour facts, research and details that are becoming lost and who build what is for the main part, a very positive community actually leave a very real digital legacy. One that's every bit as meaningful as any epitaph carved in stone or cast in metal. In addition to the rest of their lived experiences in the physical world and the memories they leave their friends and families, for years to come, people will get an insight into his character, his stories, experiences, knowledge and humour.

I don't know if Joe liked a drink, or what his choice would be. But I shall go pour a libation now and drink a toast to you all and to his memory.
 
SplitRz said:
What a sad thread. I started reading through yesterday and from the initial post I had a horrible sinking feeling. I read Joes symptoms out to my missus who's a 25 year served nurse and I could tell from her face that things didn't look at all good. But to follow through the thread and find he'd passed so soon was a real gut punch.
Click to expand...
Yeah. While I'm not a medical professional, I pretty quickly was able to look through the symptomology he described and figured he had a few months.

I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure if I was right, it certainly didn't seem the right thing to say, and treatments in cancer are improving quite frequently (my mom had breast-cancer and it was treated far easier than in the past).
 
When I spoke with him, he was very aware of the prognosis. He said the doctors told him he had months with no treatment, but with aggressive treatment he could prolong it out a few years.

It unfortunately went quicker than we all expected. He passed the night before he was supposed to start treatment.
 
I think we can all agree this thread has been truly gut wrenching. Joe was a staple of this forum for well over a decade and as such there is a deep sadness felt within the community. We all know our time here is finite, but it does not reduce the weight of this loss. It was a true honor to have Joe among the ranks of the forum. He wisdom and character enhanced the site and kept it on the tracks. His place here cannot be replaced, but his legacy will maintain in the wealth of his contributions. May he be at peace now flying high in the mighty skies beyond!

:pilotsalute:
 
Njaco said:
Our circle keeps getting smaller and smaller. You can not reverse entropy. So sad.
Click to expand...

We can always invite younger folk into this circle. You're right that as the years go by it gets harder, but I think one reason we're all here is that we have a passion for this history. We need to pass that passion along. So while we cannot reverse entropy, we can certainly slow its inexorable progress.
 
Agree with both the above.
But What The Actual........
Why is it I just found this today. I don't scour the forum enough. I need to be less self centered in here and read more posts I don't usually go to.
Joe will be missed, he like many others are such a big part of this amazing forum. Taken too quickly.
RIP mate, rest in peace.
 
Oh hell no !. Jeez, 3 short weeks !!! Can only begin to imagine what stress and pressure you...and family... went thru both physically and mentally. Not the outcome anybody would have wanted at all.
You have left a huge hole that cannot be filled here and that is one hell of an epitaph !

I came across this late last year and never once thought I'd have a reason to share it, but will now..

I hope there's a place, way up in the sky,
Where pilots can go, when they have to die.
A place where a guy can buy a cold beer
For a friend and a comrade, whose memory is dear;

A place where no doctor or lawyer can tread ,
Nor a management type would ere be caught dead;
Just a quaint little place, kind of dark, full of smoke,
Where they like to sing loud, and love a good joke;
The kind of a place where a lady could go
And feel safe and protected, by the men she would know.

There must be a place where old pilots go,
When their wings become heavy, when their airspeed gets low,
Where the whiskey is old, and the women are young,
And songs about flying and dying are sung,
Where you'd see all the fellows who'd 'flown west' before,
And they'd call out your name, as you came through the door.
Who would buy you a drink, if your thirst should be bad,
And relate to the others, "He was quite a good lad!"

And there, through the mist, you'd spot an old guy
You had not seen in years, though he taught you to fly.
He'd nod his old head, and grin ear to ear;
And say, "Welcome, my son, I'm pleased that you're here.
For this is the place where true flyers come,
When the battles are over, and the wars have been won.
They've come here at last, to be safe and alone
From the government clerks and the management clone,
Politicians and lawyers, the Feds and the noise,
Where all hours are happy, and these good ole boys
Can relax with a cool one, and a well deserved rest!
This is heaven, my son. You've passed your last test!"

Rest easy Bro, I wont say Goodbye but will say Farewell and Adieu
 
GrauGeist said:
Marcel, can you use your keyword program you developed a while back, to find aircraft joe mentioned most?
Click to expand...
I just found out about this sad event last Friday. I look at the listing of new and popular threads but don't explore much anymore because of other issues I need to deal with.
Regarding FlyboyJ's favorite aircraft, read his first post on this thread. The armament he mentioned is definitely a P-38 Lightning.
 
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