William
Robert Currier
"Bill"
Our very good friend and fellow club member, William "Bill" Currier, took his final flight on Thursday, June 23rd, 2005. He died in the crash of a RANS S-10, which he was test flying, on that fateful day at Perry International Airport, near Wagner, SC. He will be sincerely missed by all who knew him.
George Flanagan, a friend and neighbor of Bill's located at Gilbert International Airpark, wrote the following poem in remembrance of Bill ... and which captures our feelings better than anything else we might say or do:
My Final Flight
(In
memory of: Bill Currier)
My
Final Flight ... It took away my
life
Leaving
behind my family, and my loving wife
Little
did I know ... as I awoke that
fateful morning
I'd
leave this earth forever, with hardly any warning
As
I dressed, and had my coffee ... on
that 23rd of June
I
never even considered ... I'd be
gone ... before twelve noon
It
was just another Thursday ... like
most any other day
Should I go play some golf? ... Or, with airplanes, should I play?
I
headed down to the airfield ... to
have some flying fun
A
simple little 'test-hop' ... with a
high-speed 'taxi-run'
Suddenly,
I'm airborne! ... things aren't quite
just right
I
need to find a place to land ... and
safely end my plight
I've
almost got the runway made ... it
shouldn't be much longer
Please
God! ... Help me now! ... Give me strength! ... Make me stronger!
Now,
all of my days are done ... no
longer do I have tomorrow
I
never got to say "good-bye" ... or
tell you "have no sorrow"
For
I was doing what I love ... few men,
even dare to try
To live a life as full as mine ... So now, with the angels ... I fly.
Tailwinds my friend ... Until we meet again.
George Flanagan
Click on the little plane below
to read the poem
"High Flight".
We believe that Bill would have expressed similar
feelings about why he loved flying.
For more photos and fond memories of Bill, click on the cross below:
We'll miss you, Bill 