My Friend and wingman,  Carl "Jacknife" Vernon passed away on February 2, 2011 in an aircraft accident in Kissimmee, Florida while flying a Fouga Magister CM-170.  He will be missed by all his friends and family.  We shared many, many adventures together having more fun than should be allowed.  We ran a race team at Reno, occasionally ferried classic aircraft across the country, often traveled together including a trip to Ireland and a two week sail with friends around the Caribean. 

Carl had an incredible life.  At age 14 he achieved the honor of becoming an Eagle Scout like his father.  He spent some of his high school years in Hawaii where he was an active sailer, racer and instructor at Hickam Harbor.  He was awarded the Lou Foster Sailing Scholorship for Celestial Navigation.  He continued sailing for the rest of his life. He had many interests, but his first love beside his family was aviation.  He founded Lonestar Aercraft in Lago Vista, Tx.  He was the best pilot I knew and he was a great mechanic.  He traveled around the country servicing classic jet aircraft.  Carl was a nationally renowned expert on the Fouga Magister CM-170. This was one of the type we raced at Reno.  Carl was very proud of his role of serving as a civilian instructor for the Navy and Air Force test pilot training programs.  A unique accomplishment among many was his 1990 solo trans Atlantic slight in a Cessna 206 to deliver it in Africa.  He was a great contributor to the aviation community and his home community in general donating countless hours of his time.  A friend of Carl's once said, "Carl had no new friends, because once you met him, he felt like an old friend."  He will be sorely missed by all.  Clear skys to the west my friend.