Gary Austin Fly Safe

[Roger Cain]

Only met Gary a few times, but he was one of the folks whose postings I always enjoyed, and brought faith back to me in the CAF, he will be missed.

[Jack Cook]

I failed him as a friend.

This is exactly how I feel. He called me yesterday and left a message.
I hadn't bothered to call him back yet

[RareBear]

WIX has lost a true friend and outstanding source of knowledge. He was a gifted mechanic and a craftsman in metal. He will be greatly missed. I wish I had gotten a chance to meet him.

Walt

[Warbird Kid]

I failed him as a friend.

This is exactly how I feel. He called me yesterday and left a message.
I hadn't bothered to call him back yet

This is something I sent to Nathan like 20 mins ago but i think it might work here too.

"We all wish we could have done something in hindsight. Its just human nature. But be thankful you got to know apart of this amazing man here. Its the magic of this electronic place. And its also amazing just how many people are hurting right now that never even met the guy, including myself. If it were 10 or 15 years ago, I'm sure not as many people would have known or would have been so saddened by this news."

But we were lucky to have known just a portion of this gentleman and for that I'm glad. But it was far too soon for this much talent.

[Steve Rister]

Through the years I have lost several friends in the warbird community. Now Gary Austin. A fine man that I'm going to miss...

[F3V]

But we were lucky to have known just a portion of this gentleman and for that I'm glad. But it was far too soon for this much talent.

That's what I Feel...

[muddyboots]

Gary and I talked about our mutual depression a couple of times and I asked him to please contact me before he did anything bad. He hadn't hinted at it but I know this disease and I know how badly it can affect you. I'm sorry he is gone. I am sorry it beat him. I have tears in my eyes as I type this.

But there isn't much any of us could have really done. He needed a lot more help than we could have done over the phone or even in person. Please don't think you could have somehow pulled a fireball out of your tailpipe and somehow saved him. Depression is just a monster and when it comes in the night, we're all on our own. I don't know if he ever sought help--I urged him to but refusing to accept help is one of the problems that comes with this thing.

Just please, if you only take one thing from this learn the lesson that depression is real, that people who truly suffer from it aren't making it up or just being sensitive. It hits and it hurts and it kills the best of us. Someone you know is still alive, and still suffering in silence.

Rest in peace Gary.

Clay James

[ktst97]

WIX has lost a true friend and outstanding source of knowledge. He was a gifted mechanic and a craftsman in metal. He will be greatly missed. I wish I had gotten a chance to meet him.
Walt

This post says perfectly the very things that I had been sitting here struggling to put into the proper words and phrases.

[Nathan]

Gary Austin committed suicide this morning.

OMG! Makes this tragidy even that far worse. I could tell through Gary's posts that he was deeply depressed. I guess the stratolina project should have been a red flag but I took it as something else.

Jack Cook, if you need someone to talk to. Pm me I can give you my number, call me or whatever you want. Or anyone else for that matter.

-Nathan

[V1VRV2]

I am absolutely shocked and really saddened. Gary was a quality guy and will be very much missed. May he rest in peace.
Rob Gillman

[Craig59]

Clay,

Thank you for bravely stepping forward and saying what you did. I was sitting here trying to think of a way to encourage everyone here to not speculate, and especailly to not blame themselves nor Gary. I have a very dear friend who has been suffering with depression for a few years now and I have learned a lot. I speak with him weekly and yet, I know I am powerless to prevent him from perhaps one day listening to the voice.
Let's remember the good, folks. Let's remember how much joy Gary's postings gave us...

[aussiepby]

I had the pleasure of meeting Gary a couple of times this year and all I can say is that the world has lost a true gentleman. He loved his dogs and the aeroplanes under his care.

I am going to miss you mate.

Jason

[RickH]

I was just out at Austin Acres a few weeks ago. Gary, my daughter Katie and I visited for a while that morning. He had some projects he was working, he had sold a few things, the PBY had left the day before with Les Chapman, Carl Scholl had picked up one of the 4360s, we were picking up a J-79 burner can and a couple of Skyhawk pylons. He told me that he was trying to clean up some of the things around the yard. He introduced us to his dogs, most were those he rescued.

He talked of a missed opportunity to move to New Zealand a few years ago, a move he put off because his fiance didn't want to move to the other side of the world. He said it turned out that she didn't want to leave her other boyfriend. Gary told me he still might go over there.

He seemed lonely, living a batchelor type existence, but with his severance with all things CAF, I don't know how many local friends he had. WIX was a lifeline, a connection to what he loved but was really no longer hands on. Gary was a craftsman who truly loved bringing these old machines back to life, without that direction, well, I'm afraid that the projects he still had around the house, the hot rod, tearing down the old Griffon to scavenge parts, the Stratolina were enough.

Jack, I had missed messages on my phone, when I read that you had a message from Gary, I cringed and worried that he might have left me one too. Gary was hurting, and we all wish that we could have read the signs, I know now that none of us realized just how bad it was.

We'll miss you Gary, I wished you had called, it would have been the most important one that I ever got..... Godspeed.

[51fixer]

Gary and I talked about our mutual depression a couple of times and I asked him to please contact me before he did anything bad. He hadn't hinted at it but I know this disease and I know how badly it can affect you. I'm sorry he is gone. I am sorry it beat him. I have tears in my eyes as I type this.

But there isn't much any of us could have really done. He needed a lot more help than we could have done over the phone or even in person. Please don't think you could have somehow pulled a fireball out of your tailpipe and somehow saved him. Depression is just a monster and when it comes in the night, we're all on our own. I don't know if he ever sought help--I urged him to but refusing to accept help is one of the problems that comes with this thing.

Just please, if you only take one thing from this learn the lesson that depression is real, that people who truly suffer from it aren't making it up or just being sensitive. It hits and it hurts and it kills the best of us. Someone you know is still alive, and still suffering in silence.

Rest in peace Gary.

Clay James

As I scan through this and deal with the shock I am numb.
Gary took me in on a visit this past summer.
He talked of the demons he faced, both the human and financial, and he seemed to have the fight in him to beat them back.
I too wish I could have done something more.
I will remember the humor and knowledge he brought to this industry and his friends.
His passing leaves a deep and dark hole.
Gary, we'll miss you.
Rich

[N3Njeff]

Dam!!!! I had a couple of chats on the phone with Gary in the last week. He really wanted to help us out with our N...He had already sent us a fuel gage for our N..................Dam, guess I dont know what else to say. Gonna miss ya Gary!!!

Please keep us posted on the services.