Well, we’ve lost a friend and seen the end of an era - Lu’s style was probably unique, certainly inimitable.
Lu described himself as an iconoclast, and he was. He enjoyed attacking cherished beliefs and/or institutions, and did so with great enthusiasm, even when in a minority of one. There were times when his approach provoked forthright responses but, as regulars will know, he loved provoking strong responses and thrived on them.
Lu had no regard for the laws of libel, and there were times years ago when he drove me to distraction. I tried pleas, threats, on forum, off forum - all were equally ineffective. Lu was unstoppable at full steam; he stuck to his guns and fought on undeterred. I can't remember the exact number, but I think it reached 17 warnings before I was eventually forced, very reluctantly, to send him to the sin bin to cool off.
When time had passed to allow Lu back, he returned with his dignity intact - no apology or undertaking demanded, and none offered! Link Lu had very strong (and usually very controversial 
) views on many aviation topics. He'd worked in the Defence and Aerospace industries for over forty years in various engineering capacities on helicopters, missiles, ships, manned spacecraft, satellites and aircraft. He’d been a Reliability Maintainability and Systems Safety Engineer since 1968, and in 1978 became a technical consultant in those areas, on assignments in the United States, Canada and Europe, working on military and commercial aircraft, helicopters and an orbital space station. He was one of life's characters - nothing bland about Lu! The genuine concern expressed here when we heard about his illness a few months ago was amazing – friends and debating adversaries alike were as one in hoping and praying he’d win the fight.
I spoke to Lu in hospital and know the messages from his friends here meant a lot to him. He was going through a rough course of treatment, but approaching it with his fighting spirit which was so familiar to us. Although we know the chances of winning against that terrible disease are rarely good, Lu was such a fighter it was almost unthinkable that he wouldn’t win. He seemed indestructible.
Sadly, after a very brave fight, Lu eventually succumbed and passed away surrounded by his family. They have lost a much-loved husband and father; we’ve lost a popular and respected friend. Rotorheads is truly a community and, although most of us have never met and probably never will, we’re friends despite often being separated by thousands of miles. I hope Lu's family will find some comfort at this sad time from seeing the respect in which Lu was held by his friends here.
God Bless you Lu. You were one of us. We’ll miss you.
Heliport