Clear Skies & Tailwinds, Captain Barry

I've been thinking about Captain Carl Barry ever since I heard the news two weeks ago. I had only flown with Carl a few times when I was an FO, but we ran into each other quite a few times since and he always stopped to chat. Carl was one of those people who loved to talk and seemed to befriend everyone he met. He had a thousand-watt grin that was on display more often than not, and you wouldn't guess that he had a tough two-leg commute from Syracuse NY with one very young child and another on the way and a wife who was pretty unhappy about the situation. The last time I talked to Carl was the week before Christmas; he called me and offered to pick up a day trip I had posted on the tradeboard for December 28th. He was pretty bummed that he would be flying over Christmas without enough time between trips to go home, and figured he'd rather fly than sit in his crashpad. I thanked him profusely; I had picked up the trip accidentally, it interfered with a family Christmas function, and I had tried to trade it away without success.

Carl never flew the trip. On the night of the 27th, he collapsed and died of a heart attack while working out at a gym near his crashpad in Minneapolis. Carl was young and in top shape; he was actually training for a triathalon. I found out the news the next morning via a thread on Airline Pilot Forums, which quickly turned into a tribute to Carl from many people who knew him at NewCo and his former company, Air Midwest. Reading the comments there is an inspiration to live and treat others in such a way that I'll be similarly remembered when my time comes.

I've never solicited money for my writing on this blog or placed advertising or even a tip jar on it. That said, if you find value in what you read here and think its worth a few dollars, I'd encourage you to donate to the memorial fund that has been set up for Carl's young son and still-unborn child. Checks may be sent to:

Wings Financial Credit Union
Carl Barry Benefit Account (ID #0001156737)
14985 Glazier Ave, Suite 100
Apple Valley, MN 55124-6539