Home › Forums › Pilot Reports › Stan Koszelak, Rest in peace my friend.

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  • October 10, 2022 at 5:51 PM #16841
    Mark Hoffmann
    General Member

    Stan passed away this morning 10/10/2022… Complications from a motorcycle accident he had approximately 3 weeks ago while riding on a mountain road. Highway 38.

    Stan was an avid hang glider pilot for at least 30 years but did not fly much in the last 9 years.

    He obtained a PHD… Bio-Chemistry. He told me he spent some time on the Space Shuttle Team years ago.

    Stan’s wife Julie said that if anyone has any stories they would like to share that they can e-mail them to her >>  Julie.haynes2@verizon.net

    2001 Waltz Launch with Stan (1)

    above picture> At Waltz Launch

    Stan at AJLZ approx 2002 (3)

    at AJLZ

    Stan at CSS launch approx 2010

    New T2C-154 day at CSS

    Stan Koszelak 10102022

     

    October 11, 2022 at 1:33 PM #16842
    Dusty Rhodes
    General Member
    CSS Instructor

    Stan_slightsignature_EM

    Sad to hear

    October 11, 2022 at 5:24 PM #16843
    Ken Howells
    General Member

    I’m so sorry to hear this. Stan was a great guy. He was very smart and I learned a lot about flying and weather in the course of riding up the hill with him and in the LZ after flying over the years.  His patient, analytical approach to hang gliding was a great influence. Great sense of humor.

    He had a ritual of always eating a simple cheese sandwich right before launch to keep his stomach settled. He did train as an alternate Payload Specialist for a space shuttle mission, way back when.

    In 2001 he lent his Fusion for the C.S.S. entry in the Crestline Days Parade (we won!). His son was the ‘pilot’ and his daughter tended a wingtip tether.

    parade_stan

    October 13, 2022 at 10:38 AM #16853
    Jonathan Dietch
    General Member

    Gosh! I’m so saddened for Stan and his wife. Any time I get lucky and hook the occasional thermal by the high school bus parking I think of Stan because he showed me how it works perhaps 12 years ago.
    One of my favorite Stan quips was when he got in Knumbnuts’ face and called our training circuit, “The Big Oops!”. You always knew where you stood with Stan. I may be blunt but Stan was BLUNT! I am truly sorry that he has left the building. I wish his wife and family peace.

    October 19, 2022 at 7:14 PM #16867
    Mark Hoffmann
    General Member

    Stan’s service; location and time.

    Stans service location and time

    October 21, 2022 at 12:04 PM #16874
    Tim Ward
    General Member

    I liked Stan. I first met him right after Debbie Renshaw signed off his H2.
    He told me while he was in training to be a crew specialist on the Space Shuttle that he broke his arm riding a mountain bike and got bumped off his flight. Still later, he told me that actually, he’d blown a landing, taking out a downtube and his arm. The ‘mountain bike’ story was because he wasn’t supposed to be hang gliding while in the program. Oops.

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