Vale, Howard Hughes

[Ultralights]

http://www.lightwing.com.au/images/sp2000a.jpg

HOWARD HUGHES AND HIS BEAUTIFUL LIGHTWING
Sadly one of our dearest aviation friends in Northern NSW Howard Hughes died last evening after a strong battle with cancer.
Our great mate Howie's passing is an immense loss to the Australian Aviation community and to Australian Lightwing.
Howard used Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome as his testing area with his ground breaking aircraft designs.
A true inventor and innovator and pilot and guiding light in the aviation industry and community.
May you rest in the clouds Howard Hughes.....

[Stanwell]

Oh that is sad.
I'd only met him once, but found him to be a thorough gentleman.
RIP and condolences to his loved ones.

[LeadSled]

Folks,
Very sad news, quite apart from his aeroplanes, he was one of the funniest people I have ever met, with a truly wicked sense of the absurd.
His "flying tinnie", alone, was proof of that, anybody got a copy of the video, they can post, in his memory.
Tootle pip!!

[chimbu warrior]

A gifted musician as well. RIP.

[PLovett]

Bugger, there seems to be so many interesting people who have died this year and Howard is yet another. My condolences to his family.

[kaz3g]

I never met him but we emailed a few times. I'm sorry we never did get to chat in person.

His mum was my mum's cousin.

Kaz

[Dick Smith]

Howard gave great support in the " Two Years in the Aviation Hall of Doom " days.

Inspiration to many people and a sad loss to our industry.

[The Green Goblin]

Is that as in pprune username Howard Hughes?

Last post a couple of days ago in the Jetstar 50/50 thread. That's very sad to hear.

[Ultralights]

Im not sure if the Howard Hughes of Pprune username fame is the same Howard Hughes of the Australian Lightwing fame.

Last time i met Mr Hughes, i discovered i had a flat tyre upon landing at Lismore, blocking the runway, just short of the taxiway, Mr Hughes came out with an aircraft dolly, and help move my Savannah to his Hangar where he had numerous Lightwings at various stages of construction. after chatting discussing build methods, and changing the flat tyre, he offered me a job constructing and reworking some models of the lightwings. sadly i turned the job down, though it was very tempting at the time.

Howard was one of the good guys, loved a chat and a general all around good guy.

He will be missed.

[tail wheel]

Is that as in PPRuNe username Howard Hughes?

No, different person.

[mcoates]

"Last time i met Mr Hughes, i discovered i had a flat tyre upon landing at Lismore, blocking the runway, just short of the taxiway"

Close but i think you meant Ballina

Regardless another very sad day for light aviation with Chris Conroy passing only 5 weeks earlier. I guess it shows if you havent seen someone in a while then get out and say hello because you might just run out of time.

[Lancair70]

I have known Howard (and co-incidentally met Chris Conroy about the same time as I met Howard and Wayne Fisher) for about 28-29yrs. I'm mates with his son Nicholas who is the spitting image of Howard. A wonderful gentleman, aviator and indeed musician.
Will be sadly missed in Ballina and many other places.

Andrew