A Friend - lost

[Kip Powick]

It was a rough time in CP...in the early "90s. Rumours about pending layoffs were running through the company and as a new comer from WD my position didn't look too solid...nevertheless we kept smiling and moving the people.

It was the summer time and as I lived about 1+45hrs from the airport and usually was awarded all the morning "o-dark-thirty" flights I usually packed my bag and the car the night before. It was the summer time and a long drive could crease up pants and a shirt very quickly, especially in the heat so I opted to drive to work in shorts and a T-Shirt, with flip-flops on, and change in the T-3 parking lot before going to Ops.

I pulled into the quiet parking lot and commenced changing...nothing like starting the day in fresh clean clothes...I reached behind the front seat to pick up my shoes....and they weren't there. I searched the inside of the car and even went through the trunk...no shoes. Well, I thought...I should be able to borrow a pair from someone coming in from a flight..oh-oh...no one would be coming in until I was leaving...I was scheduled out at 7:00am......hmmmm.

I rooted around in the trunk and found a pair of toe rubbers, slipped them over my black socks and "squooshed" through T-3 to Ops. I had all the flight planning done and was trying to hide my feet under the counter when the Captain walked in. He wasn't much of a "gut laugher" but he smiled with a lopsided grin and said , "I don't even want to know."

We had to do 4 sectors that day and would end up in YOW for the night...naturally we switched "back-ends" twice and they all wanted to come up front and see "shoeless Joe". The Captain was a good sport about it, told me I could stay in the cockpit and he did all the walk-arounds and picked up all the flight plans.

After we arrived in YOW and I "slooopshed" through the hotel, I changed into flip-flops and ran down to a shoe store and bought black oxfords. They lasted me until I retired.

The Captain was a treat to fly with and for some reason he and I did many pairings and we always had a lot of fun. Each time we met to commence a pairing he would first look at my feet and grin. He was also a member of the CP Pilot Union and when lay-offs started he would always phone the office on layovers and see "how Kip was doing".

I did get laid off...for 6 hours. Got the notice at 11:00am one morning and was called at 4:00pm and told it was cancelled. I was the 3rd guy from the bottom of the list for almost two years and I wonder if that Captain had any input as to me staying.

I liked the guy, he was a good sport, and I never saw him loose his cool. He asked me why I was so upbeat all the time and I could only reply that I loved my job, liked the majority of people and had a great family waiting for me at home. I remember him looking at me, his lopsided grin, and saying "you lucky %&$#".

I miss him now, very much, and the accident really hit close to my heart....Go with God, ---DOUG ROGERSON....you were my friend.

[J.O.]

Kip:

Hope you're enjoying your summer. You sure haven't missed much around here!

Thanks for relating your story about Doug. Reminds me of the day I went to work in my snow boots! Wouldn't it be great if everyone could approach each day with the same calm and relaxed demeanour as Doug did? While I never had the pleasure, I know several folks who shared a flight deck with Doug, and your story sounds true to form.

[Financial Guy]

Kip,

That's a very nice story. My condolences to all of Doug's family, friends, and colleagues - he sounded like a great guy.

Cheers,

FG

[Mitch Cronin]

I'm sorry you'll miss your friend Kip. The man obviously left a good warm spot in a lot of people's hearts.

Thanks for that tale.... odd as it may be, it helps create another warm spot that gives his existence even more value... If we could all know our passing would bring such warmth, I'm sure we'd all be grateful for it.

Enjoy the summer waters, and don't forget a dollop for the old man of the sea once in a while.

Cheers,

... to you and yours, to Doug, and all his family and friends:

[HHI]

Kip,

Doug's service was held at a large church in Oakville.

Some of us Wet Coasters were able to attend.

I was glad we got there early because even the balcony was full before the start of the service.

There were many pilots and families in attendance, ranging from the "big iron" drivers to the general aviation pilots. The fellow sitting beside me flew the same type of light aircraft in which Doug flew his final flight.

When the family walked to the front pews I saw the spitting image of Doug. I knew he had a son and a daughter but it was hard to imagine Doug had a son that old.

What I didn't know, and apparently many others either, was that Doug had a twin brother.

An identical twin.

During the service we were told that as young lads the two of them would pull pranks, sometimes switching horses during the day, fooling their father.

A close friend of Doug's told me afterwards that Doug's twin brother's mannerisms and speech made it hard to believe it wasn't Doug.

I could almost visualize that "lopsided grin" you mentioned, as Doug's reaction to our surprise.

The lasting impression I have from the story of his life was how much he gave of his time to help others, and how modestly he avoided recognition for that.

Someone put a picture of a smiling Doug beside his SeaRay, and his little "co-pilot" Snuggles, as the screensaver on the computer in the pilots check-in area at YVR FLT OPS.

My thanks to whoever it was.

Henry

[cp fa]

Kip and Henry, I also flew with Doug a great deal years ago on the 737. He was one of those guys that when you saw his name on the crew list, you just knew it was going to be a good day, no matter what. I can't believe he's gone, and I find myself wondering why this stuff always seems to happen to the really nice guys.

I had actually met his twin brother years ago, when Doug brought him along on a trip with him. I don't know if he knew how to fly or not, but if he had shown up in Doug's uniform, I would never have known the difference.

I had planned to attend the funeral, but we had a family commitment that day that I planned to delegate to Dave, then we got a call saying that there was an ex Canadian pilot who was scheduled to work the day of the funeral, and was hoping to be displaced, and they were looking for a volunteer check pilot to take the trip. Although I was sad to have missed the funeral, I hadn't seen Doug in years, and the fellow who ended up going was a close friend of Doug's, so I was really glad he was able to make it.

In the information that ACPA sent out, donations were requested to the Heart and Stroke foundation or the MS Society. I tried to send a donation online, but it asked for a name and address to send a card, and I haven't been able to find that information. If anyone has access to it, and could PM it to me, I would be extremely grateful.

Anyway, time to go wash off the mascara that's running down my face.

Doug, you were always such a pleasure to fly with, and you will be sadly missed.