Fellow pilots honor Danner in flyover
By GREG MOORE
Express Staff Writer
Dia Terese watches her husband?s friends fly in the Missing Man formation over the Sawtooth Valley.
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Fellow pilots flew in a Missing Man formation over the Sawtooth Valley last week as a tribute to former Stanley Air Taxi co-owner Robert Danner, who died in a plane crash Sept. 13.
After having rendezvoused in McCall, four planes flew over Stanley at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 3.
About 100 spectators, many of whom had arrived at the Stanley Airport in private planes, watched as the pilots did one pass with all four planes, then circled and did a second pass. On the second pass, one plane peeled off to fly alone.
The planes joined up again for a third pass, circled over Redfish Lake and landed at the Stanley Airport.
Going back at least to the 1930s, the Missing Man formation has been used by British and American Air Force pilots to honor fallen comrades.
The formation in honor of Danner was flown by Glenn Gemelli, Rod Nielson and Jack McGee, all of McCall, and Joe Corbett of Boise. The maneuver had been scheduled for Danner?s memorial service Sept. 18, but was postponed due to that day?s bad weather.
No such problem existed on Sunday as the pilots were greeted with a clear blue sky.
?It was probably the most moving experience of my life,? said Danner?s widow, Dia Terese in an interview. ?It?s the highest honor people can give their fellow pilot.?
Following the formation was a brief memorial service officiated by family friend Marilyn Browning.
?We have lost a great friend, we have lost a great family man, we have lost a great flyer,? Browning said. ?Bob had experienced a great deal of turbulence in his life, but he always pushed forward indomitably and with great grace, good humor, positive attitude and generosity of heart.?
Also speaking was Jerome helicopter pilot Scott Jackson, who had helped in the search for Danner?s crash site.
?He gave us all of that search time because we gave him some fuel 15 years ago,? Terese said. ?That was Bob?s way?to give to people and tell them not to bother with thanks, but to pass it on to somebody else, and that came back to us.?
