A great man taken far too early.
I am privileged enough to be Mike's grandson. Some of my earliest memories included sitting in Grandfather's study while he showed me the various features of the Falcon 20F model he had as well as him teaching 4-year old me how to fly a basic circuit on the flight simulator he got for the sole purpose of teaching me to fly.
He was the spark and the fuel for my passion to fly, a passion that I aim to continue for life. He always took the time out to help me, even when I moved to Australia and it was harder to meet him, he would regularly email me with tips, tricks and stories about flying. He bought me books, including 'Fate is the Hunter' which takes centre place on my bookshelf, and helped me in every aspect of my life.
The last time he came down to Australia to see us I remember marveling at how he hadn't changed. He took the time to talk to me about flying and teach me everything he knew about the art of aviation. The last day he was down we went out for dinner and in typical Grandfather fashion during the meal he took out his pen and drew on the napkin to demonstrate the distance-height ratio for approach and landing. That napkin now sits next to my study desk (final year of schooling this year) and is a constant reminder that pushes me forward. If I could achieve a fraction of what he did, I would be content with myself.
A truly great man, one of a kind. A great pilot, an amazing grandfather and my role model. Rest in Peace Grandad, I'll try to fill the large boots you left.