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Tuesday's Internet Edition, January 06, 2009.
RM grieves over loss of much-loved pilot 'Wally' Boeck
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Photo by Andrew Greene
Rancho Murieta Aviator Walter (Wally) Boeck, who lost his life while piloting his aircraft on Nov. 6, is seen here at a past Young Eagles event held at Rancho Murieta Airport. Boeck organized the event for the community several times a year.
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By Wendy Smith
River Valley Times Staff
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Rancho Murieta resident and well-known pilot Walter (Wally) Boeck died on Thursday, Nov. 6 doing what he loved most: flying. The debris of his Globe Swift airplane and Boeck's remains were found Friday morning, Nov. 7 at approx. 10 a.m. just south of Lake Camanche.
According to Calaveras County Sheriff’s Captain Clay Hawkins, “The debris was spread over a considerable distance.” Hawkins also added that had the rainfall been heavier this year, the plane would have been in the water.
Many Rancho Murieta residents were shocked and worried as word spread on Thursday and early Friday that Boeck's aircraft was missing, and pilot friends in RM held a vigil for their dear friend and fellow aviator.
Boeck, who was piloting the 1946 aircraft whose engine he had modified, departed from the RM Airport alongside a second aircraft on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 4 p.m., according to the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department. The intent was for the two planes to fly for the duration of an hour and then return to the RM Airport.
According to the Sheriff’s Department, "The pilot of the second plane noticed that the Globe Swift began to fly erratically, and he saw that Boeck was hunched over the controls of his aircraft. The second aircraft followed Boeck’s plane for nearly an hour until they had to return to Rancho Murieta because they were out of gas."
Several anonymous eyewitnesses on the ground, who spoke to the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department investigators, corroborated that Boeck was slumped over his controls and the plane was in a nosedive before the crash sometime around 5 p.m.
Upon returning to the RM Airport, the second pilot called 911 and search parties from Calaveras County and the California Highway Patrol were dispatched. Unable to locate the wreckage before nightfall on Thurs., efforts were redoubled in the morning, including aid from East Bay Municipal Utility District, Amador and San Joaquin County sheriff’s departments and several fire units.
An airborne searcher located the airplane debris around 10 a.m. and soon after a ground crew identified "one fatality" just south of Lake Camanche.
Boeck devoted his life to aviation and was an active member of the RM community. He was responsible for organizing many flying events, most notably the Young Eagles. He shared his passion for flying with many youth in the community, giving many of them their first aviation experience.
Boeck was president of the local Experimental Aircraft Association chapter and enjoyed remodeling planes, including the Globe Swift he was flying. Boeck was also vocal about his efforts in maintaining the safety standards of the RM Airport, particularly concerning night flying.
Editor's Note: All details of this story were not available at press time. The RVT will keep readers informed of all developments.
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Online publication, Copyright 2005, The River Valley Times.
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Copyright 2005, EZ Edit Web Publishing.
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