Honorees

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Year Honored
2012
Honoree
William G. 'Bill' Didier
Title
Pilot
Agency
Trans North Aviation
Agency City
Eagle River
Agency State
WI
Last Call
11/28/11
Cause of Death
Medical Aviation Accident
Biography
It could be considered funny how one man's love of baseball could spark one man's love for flying. Back in 1957, the Milwaukee Braves were in the World Series playing the New York Yankees. Bill's father and a friend decided to take in a game in New York and hired a pilot to take them to Milwaukee to catch an "airliner." The small plane arrived and "buzzed" the family barn and landed right next to the house in the family farm's cow pasture. Bill and his older brother, Pete, were hooked; they later asked their father if they could take flying lessons. Because of his age, Bill had to wait until he was in high school to start flying. He graduated in 1971 and went on to a technical school for aviation repair.<br /> He enjoyed gardening and tinkering with his boat. Bill had played in a band with friends when he was younger and continued to play music with his friends. He loved his family and being a grandfather. His grandchildren so loved him that a day at the dumps with grandpa was better than a day at the park.<br /> <br /> Bill was a licensed pilot for nearly 40 years. His brother said of Bill that safety was paramount when he flew, and he did everything by the book. During the last 15 years he worked as a professional pilot. He so loved flying he also went on to earn his license as a flying instructor.<br /> <br /> On the night of November 28, 2011 Bill was flying for Trans North Aviation bringing a patient and his wife to the Chicago area to be closer to their family. About 11pm, the fixed-wing aircraft was approximately three miles from its destination when the crew had declared an emergency. The plane crash-landed in a residential area killing Bill, the patient, and his wife. Two other crewmembers onboard survived the crash.<br /> <br /> Honored 2012