Another death in the aviation community

[Liberator]

Sad to report another famous aviation person has gone to the big sky.

Writer and researcher David Menard has died just in the last few days it is said.

He will be known to many as a great writer on many books on USAF topics such as F-100 Super Sabres in Vietnam, USAF 1947-1962 and many more etc.
He gave many people the chance to benefit from his research and that is his lasting legacy.

[lmritger]

Yes, it was reported by Dana Bell on Hyperscale. As someone who's spent so much time in the media world, one would expect you'd understand the importance and etiquette of proper attribution... history on this board suggests otherwise, however.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/149674/m ... +yesterday.

Lynn

[Noha307]

Would you mind changing the title of the thread so that it's not so mysterious? It unnecessarily worries a lot of people otherwise.

[JohnB]

Back in the mid-90s I was assigned to W-P AFB and met David several times when doing research on various topics.
Particularly, he gave me access to the Museum's Don Gentile file so I could authenticate his autograph in a book I purchased.

He was very generous with his time and was a super-enthuiast, especially when it came to photos. As I understand it, he started taking photos when he was an airman (in aircraft maintenance?), back when few were taking the time to docment Air Force aircraft and history. He then spent years at the USAFM. Several years ago, I asked a staffer where he was and was told he had retired but was volunteering in Dayton in the health care world. After years of military service, he was still giving back. A class act.

In my files I have a copy of a letter he sent to Peter M. Bowers offering corrections to the third edition of Bower's U.S. Military Aircraft since 1909.
That book has long been my bible, earlier editions gave me a solid foundation on USA/USAF aircraft, so someone knowing enough to correct the master was to me, rather extraordinary.
Few people could correct Bowers on details of USAF aircraft, but David Menard was one of those few.
He'll be missed, but we in the historic aircraft are the richer for his efforts.
Rest in peace.