I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our dear friend and aviation companion John Rankin yesterday. John was a passionate enthusiast for all things aviation over many, many years and shared his time and knowledge along with extensive resources to countless individuals locally and globally through the worldwide web and he was an avid supporter of this blog and many others sharing his experiences and photos.
Click HERE and HERE to find his online photos.
John enjoyed travelling and I will always remember his excited emails in anticipation of journeys and the hope he would get to fly on one airliner or another to "tick off" a registration. He had a fondness for the 767 and was especially delighted when they were fitted out with winglets! He was very happy to ride on one so kitted out on a vacation to Hawaii soon after their introduction and I vividly remember a conversation we had on his return home about how fantastic they look...
While John's health deteriorated, his interest never failed and it was fantastic both he and son Jonathon took a ride on what was to be his last flight just a few months ago - an Air NZ Boeing 787-9 day trip from Auckland to Sydney and back. Certainly a highlight for a man so dedicated to all things Boeing!
Our thoughts and prayers go out to John's family at this time of loss.
May the road rise up to
meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon
your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet
again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand.........
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| This was to be the last photo John sent to me - ZK-SUH on her last departure from Auckland heading to the USA on 28 July 2014. |
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| September 2009 at Ardmore. John catches the DC3 ZK-DAK while encouraging my son James (then 5 1/2 years old) to capture just the right shot!! |
