Pilot killed in Remembrance Day crash had lifelong passion for flying, friends say
Friends say Daniel Parent, 68, was an experienced pilot
Friends of Daniel Parent — the 68-year-old man killed in a plane crash during a Remembrance Day event in Saint-Georges-de-Beauce, Que., — are remembering him for being an excellent and experienced pilot.
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“He was driven by an all-consuming passion for aviation,” Robert Bergeron, a fellow pilot and friend of Parent, told Radio-Canada.
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Bergeron → drive → Canada
He recalled a story from Parent's earlier days, when he landed a small two-seater Cessna 150 in his parents’ farm field near Saint-Honoré, Que.
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he → recall → Honoré
“It caused quite a sensation,” Bergeron said.
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It’s normal for young pilots to be a bit more daring and adventurous, Bergeron said, but Parent had grown into a mature man with nothing left to prove.
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Parent → ’ → nothing
Robert Bergeron was presiding over Wednesday’s Remembrance Day ceremony in Saint-George on Wednesday for a local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.
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Parent’s plane of choice eventually became the Mooney M20C, a high-performance aircraft designed for cross-country flying.
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plane → become → flying
According to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), Parent had been flying a single-engine Mooney on Wednesday when he crashed.
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he → accord → Wednesday
Bergeron shared his admiration of Parent, who he said flew his Mooney plane across the continent, "as far away as Alaska, California and the Grand Canyon."
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he → share → Alaska
“He was an inspiration to me,” said Bergeron.
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He said it was only after Parent had completed several of those journeys that he found the courage to follow in his footsteps.
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he → say → footsteps
“I always described him — and I told him this on several occasions — as my mentor.”
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The Remembrance Day ceremony in Saint-Georges was one Parent had been part of for many years, according to Bergeron.
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Parent → accord → Bergeron
He was performing what's called a "Missing Man" formation, where one aircraft separates from the formation and gradually climbs into the sky to symbolize the departure of someone in the Armed Forces who has died in combat.
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who → perform → combat
“The formation took off, and the formation came back without him," said Bergeron of what happened Wednesday.
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“It was an immense sadness for me to see him leave us this way.
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'You only find out afterward,' recalls pilot
On Thursday, the TSB provided an update about what happened.
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"During a formation flight of six aircraft performing for Remembrance Day commemorations, one of the aircraft, a single-engine Mooney, broke away from the formation as planned as part of their show and briefing," said TSB spokesperson Nic Defalco in a statement.
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Defalco → perform → statement
"When attempting to rejoin the formation, the aircraft passed beneath the other aircraft and continued on that trajectory, ultimately crashing into a wooded area."
The TSB continues to investigate the crash.
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TSB → attempt → crash
The pilots taking part in the ceremony were all part of the Club Aéronautique de Beauce, a local flight club.
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pilots → take → Beauce
He explains that due to the technical nature of the "Missing Man" formation, the pilots are highly concentrated on the aircraft that’s guiding them during the manoeuvre.
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that → explain → manoeuvre
So he didn’t immediately realize Parent’s plane had gone down.
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plane → realize → ?
“What happened,” he said, “was that everything was going well during the flight.
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everything → happen → flight
And at one point the leader said, ‘Missing Man Go, Missing Man Go,’” in reference to the procedure.
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“Then we heard Daniel say, ‘OK.’
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And he left the formation.”
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he → leave → formation
Drouin says Parent was supposed to return.
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But when the leader asked for confirmation of his position, there was no response.
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leader → ask → position
“So we really couldn't know what had happened.
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what → know → ?
Because it's not like driving a car, where you can look to the left or right.
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you → drive → left
You only find out afterward.”
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You → find → ?
Drouin said he realized after the accident, while he was still in the air, that Parent's plane was no longer there.
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plane → say → air
It was after landing, and when getting out of his plane, that Drouin began to have a strong physical response.
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He said his legs wouldn’t hold him up.
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legs → say → him
“I imagine it's probably the same for someone who's been in a car accident or something like that,” he said.
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he → imagine → that
“In the moment, you don't really realize what's happening, and afterward you have significant physical and mental reactions.”
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you → realize → reactions
As Drouin continues to process the loss of his friend, he remembers Parent as being an excellent pilot.
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he → continue → Parent
“He was someone you could rely on,” said Drouin.
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Drouin → rely → ?
The Aporia
