JCR

Hello all.

Just to confirm the funeral this Wednesday, the 21st, DOES start at 1100.

Post code of Church is: IP15 5HJ.

ANYONE, and we mean ANYONE who is part of the Rotary world is welcome.

Any probs-queries-questions-P.M. me.

Thank you AGAIN for all the nice messages.

JR

LOONRAT

Just heard the sad news and picked up this thread to see just how many friends DD made over the years and the high regard everyone had for him. We first met in 1976 when he undertook my B206 conversion and, in between flying with the RAT, I freelanced at Trent helicopters to help out. Each time we met I joked about the next 'Huge Thing' I was looking for and it became a standing opening line from him when we hooked up over the next 30 odd years, 'Found that huge thing' he would say. Well David you certainly found it in life with a caring and loving family combined with friends who count themselves lucky enough to have known you. May you rest in peace.

JCR

Loonrat-!-Thank you. JR

____________________________________________________________ __

Update:

Justine and I meeting with Dennis K on Monday evening to get the Obit rolling.

____________________________________________________________ __

J and I travelling up to A on Tues afternoon and staying till Thurs. All funeral plans sorted.

I shall be taking a print out of ALL this with me so people can read it after the funeral at the hotel.

Anyone who can not attend is welcome to put pen to paper-or finger to keyboard in this case-on this forum,with anything they want to say, so peeps can read it on the day.

Thanks again to ALL.


Jonathan.

casaelsa

Sarah told us about this site, only wish we had known earlier. So desperately sad about David, please pass our our condolences and best thoughts and wishes to the whole family and especially John and June. We talk with Sarah and the girls quite regularly but haven't seen John or June since the '70's!!!!

We worked with David in the 70's and 80's and have some wonderful memories, (too many to list here!) he was a truly great guy. Unfortunately Mike's health is not good and we are sitting here in Mallorca in the rain so we will be unable to attend on Wednesday but will be there in spirit with you all. Hope the bow ties will be in evidence and that you give him a great send-off.

Mike and Sue Strangways

JCR

Hello Sue and Mike!

Sarah told me that she had been in touch with you. Thank you for the nice things you have said about DD.

I remember you both VERY well from the Trent days. DD gave me my first ever ride in a helicopter, a 206, something something charlie hotel when I was 9! I then did quite a lot of loading for you. 2 events I remember were the "white-rhino-park" at Whipsnade and somewhere in Silsoe. It was those early seeds that got me started in this damn business!

Happy days!

I'm sorry to hear Mike not so well. Please give him my best and I know you will both be with us all-in spirit-on Wed.

Best wishes,

Jonathan.

spinwing

JCR ...

I remember flying one of those Trent "White Rhino Park thingys" .... was flying G-OIML .... Trents 206 at the time .... musta been early '82 or thereabouts .....

Remember DD briefing me in the Public Bar ...oops ... Ahhh.... "Ops Room" the day before ...... "No problems with this job" (he said) "easy" .... were doing from inside one of the Rhino pens! .... "Oh Yeah" (says I) ... "and where will the Rhino's be then?" .... ....

"Where do you F****NG THINK ... they'll be watching you closer than the CAA!" says he! (and he was right too)

Oh Yes ....those were the days!

My thoughts (and memories) will be with you and the congregation on Wednesday ... I am only sorry to be so far away.

Regards Steve Jacobs Melbourne Australia

choclit runway

I would like to echo loonrats sentiments of being one of the lucky many who had the honour of knowing DD. His reputation proceeded him and he commanded respect from all those around him.

I'm not much of one for Helicopters as JR will no doubt be happy to confirm but the industry has indeed suffered a great loss in DD's death.

Outside of the aviation world all I can say is that he was a geat one for a chunk of cheddar, a good red, and having a bloody good laugh to boot about subjects I wouldn't discuss on a public forum. JR, when I think back to 'that summer' my memories are like a real life Benny Hill sketch... All nurses, barmaids and inuendo!... And you two taking the p*ss remorselessly out of the Cabair coloured seat covers of my old BX... Got the 3 of us to the pub and back well enough though!

My sincere condolences to the family, my thoughts are with you all.

Sleep well David.

JCR

Jules.

Thank you.

JR.

DennisK

Hallo guys,

I was wth JR last evening talking through some of the treasured memories of David Dixon. One particular story I have mentioned elsewhere is the time in the 1970s when David visited our new business at Shoreham to take a look at the spanking new Enstrom.

I knew the Enstrom marque pretty well, and soon found myself watching David entering a full autorotation to the ground ... now I know the man is ex military trained, is one of the UK's very top instructors and examiners, and probably has zillions of hours. But this is a new type to him, and I'm intrigued to see how he will cope in a type he hasn't flown before.

All I can say is the man completed as good an engine off landing to the ground as I had ever seen.

Yes David was a giant of our industry, a charming guy and an immensely competent pilot. I just wish I'd known the David better to have partaken in some of the more robust outings I read about here.

So the purpose of my post is I to say I am tasked with writing a tribute for the aviation press. I refuse to call it an obituary! I need lots of anecdotes, stories and experiences any of you guys have of the great, late David Dixon. Please either post them here, or e-mail me on [email protected].

Thanks to all and a fond farewell to a wonderful man and pilot.

Thanks,

Dennis Kenyon.

Agusta

Sorry to hear that David has passed on, my sympathy to all the family.

I first came across David as a mature student doing work experience at Sloane Helicopters and latterly when I was working there, after David had had his stroke. I use to come across him at functions and show like Helitech, he always had time to stop and have a chat with me. Another friend in the industry had been in contact with David recently and said he was on form as ever.

I, as many did, held a great respect for David.

RIP David and may you heavenly autorotation be smooth ones.

twomags

Not having met DD I can only offer my greatest sympathies to his family and all who knew him, and it seems like a lot of people!

Jonathan, you have done a wonderful job of keeping eveyone informed and helping DD catch up with so many old friends when he needed them.

I hope the funeral went well and I'll see you both soon.

Best wishes

Ian

JCR

Thank you so much for that.


The funeral was...... well, it was tough for all but I think DD would have been SO touched by the turn out and all the love that was in the space for him.

C, G and C: Your tribute was simply FAB and DD would have been SO proud of you.

To you all, he may be gone but I believe he is still with us all in us all.

Jonathan.

S500e

Hi David
Thank you for putting up with my limited heli flying skills at Cranfield on the Bell47 training helicopter. Roger Cookson and Ian Morris both flew with my G-CHOP and G- BGMU G3 B1 models and later I managed to get my licence on gyroplanes with David Beavers and Roger Savage. The wonderful Gay Barrett was Alec Wortley Helicopter’s Chief Pilot and Ian Normand used to visit any site operations we had in Wales
Now living in Thailand my wife Nong and I are still into flying ad we breed geese and ducks as pets- the duckling and goslings are so adorable and very easy to sell or give to friends

Georg1na

Just found this. David at the bottom of our garden taking daughters for a whizz! Happy memories. We used to have engine off contests at Culdrose into the sandpit.D

hargreaves99

this appears to be Captain David Dixon

You Tube

Georg1na

It certainly is - a thourouhly good egg he was! D