Vale Werner Bekker.

[geoffreywh]

1. With regret I report the death of my good friend, pilot, racing car driver and all round good bloke.Werner Bekker. On Saturday/Sunday last. He was a pioneer in the early days and a paraplegic for 25 years...God rest his soul.
    
    
   

 

 

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

I'm really saddened to hear of Werner's passing, he was a good friend to all - including me and anyone with an interest in flying in particular. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, and along with a few of the other early ultralight pioneers, he generously gave his time and effort to help those of us who were designing, building, learning to fly and test-flying all at the same time. Without the help and advice of people like him I'm sure a lot more of us would have come to grief early on. Thanks to Werner's kindness I test flew several of my early designs from Bekker Field, in those days of ridiculously dangerous 300ft height restrictions it was a great safety benefit to be able to conduct testing from a private field away from watchful eyes.

 

I'd not seen Werner for many years but I have kept in touch through other friends and for those who don't know him, some of his remarkable achievements were his motor-racing successes, he flew a Winton Cricket with twin (Solo?) engines across the Nullarbor between Perth and Adelaide in the late 1970s - he needed the twin engines, Werner was a big fella. He built and sold a number of ultralight planes called the 'Blue Max Sabre' they were customised Winton Cricket types. He had a Cassutt racer and used it as others might use a C150. He had a serious road crash where I understand he was run off the road by a truck and hit a bridge approach (or something similar), he lost the use of his legs as a result but went on to convert a plane and flew by hand controls only.

 

Truly a sad day, RIP Werner.

 

Geoff, I won't be able to get down to Vic for the funeral or memorial but I know of some people down there who would be likely to want to attend. Could you post details of that here please, so that I can pass them on? And PM me any contact info of family or bereaved please? Thanks.