Gary Austin: Gone two years today.

Brad · **Joined:** Thu Apr 29, 2004 10:30 pm **Posts:** 1131

One of the best friends I ever had and a true genius when it came to warbirds has been gone for two years today. I'm out on tour with the B-29 and B-24 right now and will be thinking about him, as I always do, while I'm working on the girls today.

He was a good man, a good friend and I miss him.

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

Blue skies, Gary!!!

:supz:

Robbie Stuart · **Posted:** Wed Oct 26, 2011 7:49 am

I woke up thinking about Gary this morning. Gary's spirit will always live on with those airplanes, & I know he is real proud of you Brad for all you have done. It just ain't the same here without him. We miss you Gary!
Robbie

JDK · **Posted:** Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:00 am

Remember kids - "What would Gary do?"

(With acknowledgement and thanks to the original photographer, Roger Cain)

Much missed.

TAdan · **Posted:** Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:08 am

Brad, glad to hear you are on tour with Ole 927 and Fifi. I am so happy Gary was able to share his work on both aircraft with us here on WIX. He is sorely missed.

peter · **Posted:** Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:57 am

Two years already?? If heaven has warebirds, Gary is turning wrenches on them!
Blue skies my friend :drinkers:

oz rb fan · **Joined:** Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:33 am **Posts:** 474

darn that went quick,with all that has happened this year i couldn't help but think about what gary would make of it all.
forever in my thoughts and never forgotten.
if there is a heaven Gary can you look after the ghost!! :drink3:

byw James that is gold!!! i'm sure Gary would approve!

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Wed Oct 26, 2011 9:29 am

Looking at my N3N fuel gage on my desk he sent me one month prior :drink3:

Thanks Gary!

StangStung · **Posted:** Wed Oct 26, 2011 9:33 am

Happening across his thread on Ol 927 really renewed my interest and warbirds and led me here.

I never met the man, but for those things, I'll always be grateful to him.

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Wed Oct 26, 2011 9:37 am

Sometimes there is wisdom in the very young. I feel the following applies for Gary as well;

Last December I lost my long time friend Clair. Sometimes we lose someone and the pain eventually goes away, and then there are those we lose that leave a hole in our lives. Clair is the second. When Clair passed my daughter was upset as Clair always took the time to play with her. When The B-17 Liberty Belle had it's fire her and I were watching the coverage on the TV. Here is the part that relates to Gary. She looked at me and asked:

Elizabeth: "Is that B-17 gone?"

Me: "Yeah I think so"

Elizabeth:"Are you sad?"

Me:"Yeah, it's very sad to lose this plane."

Elizabeth:"Well it's OK, Mr. Clair just needed a B-17 to work on."

I had to fight back tears after that.

Speedy · **Posted:** Wed Oct 26, 2011 9:48 am

mustangdriver wrote:

Sometimes there is wisdom in the very young. I feel the following applies for Gary as well;

Last December I lost my long time friend Clair. Sometimes we lose someone and the pain eventually goes away, and then there are those we lose that leave a hole in our lives. Clair is the second. When Clair passed my daughter was upset as Clair always took the time to play with her. When The B-17 Liberty Belle had it's fire her and I were watching the coverage on the TV. Here is the part that relates to Gary. She looked at me and asked:

Elizabeth: "Is that B-17 gone?"

Me: "Yeah I think so"

Elizabeth:"Are you sad?"

Me:"Yeah, it's very sad to lose this plane."

Elizabeth:"Well it's OK, Mr. Clair just needed a B-17 to work on."

I had to fight back tears after that.

Ah...to be able to see life through the eyes of a child again, eh?

oz rb fan · **Joined:** Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:33 am **Posts:** 474

mustangdriver wrote:

Sometimes there is wisdom in the very young. I feel the following applies for Gary as well;

Last December I lost my long time friend Clair. Sometimes we lose someone and the pain eventually goes away, and then there are those we lose that leave a hole in our lives. Clair is the second. When Clair passed my daughter was upset as Clair always took the time to play with her. When The B-17 Liberty Belle had it's fire her and I were watching the coverage on the TV. Here is the part that relates to Gary. She looked at me and asked:

Elizabeth: "Is that B-17 gone?"

Me: "Yeah I think so"

Elizabeth:"Are you sad?"

Me:"Yeah, it's very sad to lose this plane."

Elizabeth:"Well it's OK, Mr. Clair just needed a B-17 to work on."

I had to fight back tears after that.

out of the mouths of babe's darn it i'm in tears again!!!
there's some good people up there(and planes) gods speed to all of them.

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Wed Oct 26, 2011 10:02 am

oz rb fan wrote:

mustangdriver wrote:

Sometimes there is wisdom in the very young. I feel the following applies for Gary as well;

Last December I lost my long time friend Clair. Sometimes we lose someone and the pain eventually goes away, and then there are those we lose that leave a hole in our lives. Clair is the second. When Clair passed my daughter was upset as Clair always took the time to play with her. When The B-17 Liberty Belle had it's fire her and I were watching the coverage on the TV. Here is the part that relates to Gary. She looked at me and asked:

Elizabeth: "Is that B-17 gone?"

Me: "Yeah I think so"

Elizabeth:"Are you sad?"

Me:"Yeah, it's very sad to lose this plane."

Elizabeth:"Well it's OK, Mr. Clair just needed a B-17 to work on."

I had to fight back tears after that.

out of the mouths of babe's darn it i'm in tears again!!!
there's some good people up there(and planes) gods speed to all of them.

Amen

Django · **Posted:** Wed Oct 26, 2011 10:03 am

2 years...

Man, I miss him.

Zachary · **Posted:** Wed Oct 26, 2011 10:07 am

For some of the newcomers to WIX - Gary Austin was THE MAN! Just an all around nice guy who would literally give you the shirt off his back if you asked him for it. When someone started a thread on what part(s) of warbirds we own, I lamented the fact that I didn't have any. Out of the blue a package arrives on my doorstep from one Gary Austin with some warbird parts and a note saying that nobody should be without some warbird parts! I met Gary in person when he came to Oshkosh in 2007 and had the priviledge of interviewing him for EAA's Timeless Voices of Aviation oral history program.

This doesn't begin to capture the complex guy that Gary was, but it at least gives you a hint:

http://bcove.me/2qv1suqv

Gone in body, Gary's spirit will live on through people like Brad and the rest of us whose lives he impacted. We miss you Gary...

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Gary Austin: Gone two years today.

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