[Talkrc] [Tcrcm-announcements] Rich Roland Info

[Craig Christensen]

This is all terribly sad, sad, news to me.  Rich and Steve Sterling were the 
ones that soloed me out at the MAA Field in Jan. 25, 2004.  That also was my 
Mom's birthday so that's how I remember it.  Rich and Steve were all so very 
good to me.  Both were so helpful in helping me learn to fly initially.  I 
am so grateful to both of them for what they did for me at that time.  I 
haven't seen much of Rich the past few years since he took a job as a long 
haul trucker.  That job kept him out of town much of the time so it was rare 
to see him at the flying field.  I had no idea that he had lost his truck 
driving job.  That in itself is terribly sad and now the news of the 
suicide, oh my, how so very tragic.  But that's not what I'll remember of 
Rich.  What I'll remember is the good times we had out at the MAA field 
sitting by the fire, chatting, and trying to thaw out enough to make one 
more training flight.  Damn it was cold, but we both hung in there.  I was 
really awestuck when he flew that 1.60 sized Hangar 9 P51 Mustang around, 
even in the winter.  He didn't bother with the flaps although they were 
functional, he'd just cruise that Mustang in over the asphalt runway and set 
her down as light as a feather.  Awesome, and down right intimidating, 
specially to a newbie.

Chemikazee