While a Plaque will be fairly easy and will give us a warm feeling for doing something, I would not want that if I were in that situation.

I would much prefer establishing some mechanism to help prevent someone else's wife or passenger having to wait for 2 days for rescue.

Where we sign in as visitors, a log for people doing day flights might be helpful. Someone from our group could check the log at the end of the day. There could be a chart or some other helpful hint on the log showing the canyons.

This idea has been brought up before. I think we should be trying to help others not make fatal mistakes. They are easy to do in the backcountry. There will be more crashes. It would be better if we could rescue them sooner rather than later.

I think that would honor Berk more than a plaque. Just my opinion.

flyer

Flyer:
You are quite right! That pilots should leave at least an informal flight plan will be the main purpose of the plaque. As some have noted, there is already guest book and a bulletin board at Johnson Creek which could be used for this purpose. Doing it is what, I think, we should hope to encourage with the plaque.

Bob

What about all of the many other pilots and passengers that have lost their lives flying in and out of Johnson Creek and other backcountry strips? Should we not put plaques up for all of them also? I think we would run out of room. How about a list of names above a day flying log?

If I make a huge mistake like that, I would just as soon not have everyone reminded of what I did or did not do. We all make mistakes. Some of us are luckier than others.

"Fate is the Hunter"

I think we should concentrate more on making our flying safer by backing each other up.

flyer

Flyer:

Your and others input is what makes BCP such an active group. I didn't come up with the concept of a memorial plaque but was just offering to get something done.

And reading through this entire thread one can see that suggestion of a memorial has lead to ideas to do something positive such as a bench, a route map, or a flight plan board.

As Berk a was contributor to BCP and was at the BCP Fly-In when he perished, I for one, do not think it is unseemly for the BC Pilots to do something in his name. However you are probably right and it may be best to let Berk rest in peace and concentrate on the here and now rather than the past.

Do reflect that if nothing else, his accident got many to consider what they could do to prevent the same from happening to themselves and others.

This is a very good discussion and this event has prompted me to be more diligent about filing detailed flight plans (mine tend to be with flying friends).

I do think it would be nice to honor Berk. Berk was very active (as a Board member) in his local public radio station (KMUD). I suggest that anyone who wants to, sends a contribution to that station in Berk's name. That way, his local community will know that there is a group of flyers who are thinking of Berk a year later. While a plaque would be nice, I think there are issues of it's longevity and other issues have been raised above.

Chris

seems to me the best thing would be a marker pen board with destination and expected return time. Just dedicate it to the pilots who have lost their lives pursuing the love of flying. If names are to be put on it then it might get long. Might be someone would want to add pilots who passed on but were legends in their time too. That list could get long....

In any case a board with info on it that could be filled in when a pilot leaves for the day would be great. I was up there one year for a couple days alone till my flying buds were due to arrive and it dawned on me that if I went fishing at Cabin creek, lets say, i would be the only one who knew where I was that day. Not a good scenario in the mountains. Just telling someone might not be enough. That would assume that person would be there if you showed up missing. Now weather might play a part in not showing up back at JC when you scheduled yourself to arrive. Having to spend the night at a strip due to weather is a distinct possibility up there so a search shouldn't be instigated before weather possibilities are considered. Any way just my thoughts on the matter...