The family of a pilot killed in a British Columbia plane crash earlier this week says they will always remember him as fun-loving and big-hearted.
Alex Bahlsen, 62, a husband, father, and grandfather, was identified as the pilot of a 1982 Piper Aerostar that crashed on Gabriola Island late Tuesday night.
“We as a family are absolutely devastated. We knew this day could come; however, Alex always had a way of making us feel like it never would,” Bahlsen’s family said in a statement released to media Friday. “Alex was taken from us while he was doing something he loved.
“He never hesitated to share the joy of flying with others and the beauty from the air that captivated him. Alex believed that ‘it’s always sunny above the clouds.’ This was his general outlook on life. Alex was a fun-loving, big-hearted, down-to-earth guy who loved people, animals, adventure, and life.”
Born in Germany, Bahlsen moved to Canada to further his education at the University of Calgary and found his true passion for flying, his family said. Bahlsen spent time teaching flying students from all over the world and often assisted pet rescue organizations in flying animals between Canada and the U.S.
His family said Bahlsen and his wife split their time between an air ranch outside Calgary and Mill Bay, B.C.
“He knew how to ‘fix’ everything from a scratch on your knee, something broken in your house, or a computer that wouldn’t start,” his family said. “His humour was unique; a joke would often lead to needing an explanation of German expressions that didn’t quite translate to English.
“At 62, Alex was taken too soon. We are devastated at the loss of such a force of life.”
On Friday, Transport Canada said early information from their investigation into the crash indicated an equipment issue before Bahlsen’s plane crashed. The agency reported the data on Friday in its Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System, which it says contains preliminary, unsubstantiated information that can change.
It says the operator reported an equipment issue and deviated from the approach before dropping off the radar.
The plane crash claimed Bahlsen and two other lives on the flight from Bishop, Calif., to Nanaimo.
Bahlsen’s family said a celebration of life will be held at the Bomber Command Museum of Canada in Nanton on Dec. 20 at 1 p.m.
With files from The Canadian Press
On Twitter: @zjlaing
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