Ultralight pilots honor one of their own in memorial flyover in Palermo

Palermo, NY -- The ultralights went up, circled and landed together Friday night in honor of one of their own. Jean Gulliver said it had to be this way. “Bob was one of our first pilots,” said Gulliver, who with her husband, Gary, runs Gulliver’s Wilderness Airpark in Palermo. “He was always so glad to talk to people about...

View full sizePeter Chen / The Post-StandardEd Ashby Sr. (left) lets a balloon go as an experimental light sports aircraft approaches Gulliver's Wilderness Airpark, in Palermo, during a flyover in memory of Bob Hurd, of Camden, a pilot who died Wednesday. Hurd had been taking part in the airpark's annual Summer's End Fly-in since it began 12 years ago. The balloons are in memory of Hurd, who would demonstrate the capabilities of his aircraft by releasing one while in flight, then following it and catching it with his prop. Also pictured are (from left) Hannah Woolson, 11; her cousin Reece Woolson, 5; and Ed Ashby Jr., all of Orwell.

Palermo, NY -- The ultralights went up, circled and landed together Friday night in honor of one of their own.

Jean Gulliver said it had to be this way.

“Bob was one of our first pilots,” said Gulliver, who with her husband, Gary, runs Gulliver’s Wilderness Airpark in Palermo. “He was always so glad to talk to people about flying and his planes. To share that with people was his goal in life.”

“Bob” is Robert Hurd, a 50-year ultralight aircraft pilot who died Wednesday when his pontoon plane crashed in a swamp near First Lake in Old Forge. Hurd, 71, of Camden, had been coming to fly-ins at Gulliver’s airpark for 12 years.

Gulliver’s is having its annual Summer’s End fly-in through Sunday with nearly two dozen pilots and their aircraft at the park. Hurd was planning to be there.

Instead, the pilots are remembering him. Everyone is wearing buttons with his picture on them. The flag at the airpark is at half staff. And the flyoff Friday night was just for him.

Hurd was in Palermo in July for the 12th annual Gulliver’s Wilderness Airpark Fly-In. Gulliver has photos of him arriving for the event, waving and smiling from his ultralight pontoon plane. Ultralights are considered any aircraft less than 254 pounds that operate on no more than five gallons of gas.

“Bob was wonderful sharing his love of flying,” Gulliver said. “That’s the person he was. He has to know he touched a lot of people’s lives.”