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Cliquez ici pour traduire la page html Thu, May 4, 2006 By APRIL KEMICK, FREE PRESS REPORTER AND NEWS SERVICES Two London region men are dead after the helicopter they were flying back to Blenheim, in Chatham-Kent, crashed in an open field in California, a friend said yesterday. Frank Verellen, 64, a long-time pilot from Ridgetown, and his brother-in-law, Leo Straatman of Watford, died in the crash Monday, Verellen's friend and co-worker at Zimmer Air Services said last night from Thunder Bay. The pair were flying a new Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter from Torrance, Calif., back to Zimmer Air Services' main base in Blenheim when the crash occurred, said Michael Kleywegt. "Frank was one of the best of the best in this industry, as far as his abilities as a pilot and the mentoring he provided to everyone," said Kleywegt, adding Verellen had worked at Zimmer Air Services for 28 years. "Everybody loved Frank." Zimmer has operations in Blenheim and Thunder Bay. Verellen, a father of five, who had bought a property in Ridgetown in anticipation of retirement, spent most of his career as a pilot doing agricultural spraying and shading, Kleywegt said. The seasoned pilot, who logged more than 7,500 hours in helicopters, trained many of Zimmer's up-and-comers and acted as a friendly mentor, he said. "(Frank) was just a phenomenal guy," said an emotional Kleywegt. "He's very well missed by all the friends and family he left behind." The helicopter took off at noon Monday from Torrance and went down at 2:38 pm off Interstate 10 near Blythe, 320 kilometres east of Los Angeles, said Lauren Peduzzi, a spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board. NTSB investigators moved the aircraft to a Palmdale facility for further inspection. The family has been told it may be some time before the bodies arrive in Ontario, said Frieda Verellen, the pilot's wife.source panoramique © Robert Beaver
[Sommaire] - [Bell429] - [D-HLOG] - [Gus] - [SAF-Helicap] - [Centenaire] - [Secours] - [Crash Alouette2] [Crash EC145] - [JPO Albertville] - [NFH] - [Crash R44] - [Crash EC-135] - [Gilles Ferres] - [Officiel] - [Crash Puma] [Introduction] - [Quoi de Neuf?] - [Photos] - [Vidéos] - [Machines] - [Pilotes] - [Les DZ] - [JPO] [Récits] - [Flash Info] - [Autres clichés] - [Plan du Site] - [Remerciements] - [Liens] - [Annexes] |
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