All of us at the CIC are in shock at the news of Klavs' passing. We all get caught up in the frenzy of our hectic lives, but moments like this really make you realize you don't know how lucky you are to have everyone in your life until it's too late. I had the honor of meeting Adam Burch in person once about ten years ago. He flew into town on behalf of the kit-built aircraft manufacturer that he worked for at the time. I couldn't believe how knowledgeable he was about all aspects of the plane, plus the marketing and business sides, and then he could even fly it! I work in aerospace myself, so I know how complicated this all was, and his expertise was astounding. He was also exceedingly generous and kept mentioning how he'd like to return some day so he could take me up on a flight. If you didn't know, he didn't just design Wing Commander ships - he was also a spacecraft artist/designer at Lockheed Martin and Blue Origin. We had a real space ship builder in our midst.
Klavs inspired a whole generation of aspiring Wingnut artists, and there are whole projects built around his models. It feels like he started over and remade the Rapier II fighter half a dozen times, and I just assumed he would be here to remake it again half a dozen more. I could talk all day about his 3D prints that I have on my shelf, his amazing custom Wing Commander shower curtain, how many times his ships wound up as the winner of the Wing Commander fan project of the year or the time he paid Malcolm McDowell to wish us a happy birthday. He was just that ingrained in the fabric of things here, but he meant even more to his family. It feels right to remember him in the context that we knew him, but on another level, I also cannot comprehend what a tremendous loss it is to the people who knew him personally. I am absolutely heartbroken for his family and young children. Any comments attached to these posts will be shared with them, so feel free to add your own thoughts as well. Take care out there.