Aaron "Crash" Moore-Memorial 9/11

[pchapman 277]

Anyone able to fill in a little more about him?

I only knew him in his early skydiving days in Canada (e.g. at Skydive Toronto), with the occasional visit later on back to Ontario. (e.g. working at Skydive Burnaby at least one summer or something like that.)

His tone could be abrasive at times but even early on he was big on doing a lot of sewing work, leading into rigging. In recent years had a rigging shop or something like that at a DZ in Florida?

[captain1976 0]

"Crash" was killed on Monday at DeLand. What a nice guy, he was always smiling and extremely friendly. He was very popular there. Most of the loads I jumped with him on he was doing videos. He also had a rigging business and just gave me some tips on toggle placement a couple of weeks ago. I never knew him to be abrasive, just the contrary.
I spoke with a friend at DeLand this morning and apparently he landed hard on an off-field landing and had internal injuries of some kind. He landed on the median of 92 (International Speedway Blvd.) which is about 1/2 mile from the airport. He must have had some kind of malfunction or something since its not that close to the regular landing area where he always landed.
We will miss him.
Blue Skies Crash

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime

[RhondaLea 3]

Yes, his tone could be abrasive at times--I still have a scar or two--but underneath that, he was sweetheart.

I saw the post in Incidents yesterday, but the linked newspaper article said his injuries were not life-threatening. Then I logged on this morning and saw your post here.

If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

[livnbored 0]

Crash oh Crash. How we loved to argue - just like family. I pied you for your 100th. You pied me for mine. We spent our birthdays together and we always had fun, even if we were arguing.
You helped me with my rigging, even though you were kind of mean about it at times. haha
But we still worked together for years! These past few years we lost touch. It sucks. This sucks.
I'm gonna miss you my friend.
Blue Skies.

[likearock 2]

Man. I've only been to Deland once and that was seven years ago. My reserve needed a repack but for some reason all the riggers were busy for the next few days. They told me at manifest that there was this guy named "Crash" who might be able to do the job. So I called him and he agreed to do it. When I dropped my rig off though I noticed he was sneezing and not at all well. "Yeah, I've got the flu," he said, "Don't worry though, I can still do the work." So he did it and I jumped the next day.

Fly free, Crash.

[skymama 35]

My first experience with Crash was when I was a newbie jumper and I brought him my rig after a jump to be packed. On my next jump, one of my brakes became unstowed on my opening and I complained to him about it. He was rather brusk with me and replied, "packers don't stow brakes, YOU do. Make sure you do it next time!" I was irritated with him for awhile because of his delivery but you know what? I've always stowed my brakes since then!

Through the years I realized he really was a nice guy. We didn't hang in the same circle, but he always gave me a smile and we'd chat over beers once in awhile. I'll always remember him for the sparkle in his eyes and the kindness in his smile.

Blue Skies, Aaron.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[kmfenaughty 0]

I chatted with him yesterday while he was waiting to board PAC load #8 ... it was the first time I had seen him in a while (since my accident) ... we talked about his rigging shop and how it was doing well ...

I knew they (manifest) were looking for him when the load landed but I didn’t think much of it … given his ability I was not really concerned. I was on PAC load #10 …

I left the DZ and went right through the intersection where he landed … no sign’s of any problems by that time.

When I got up this am .. my wife asked me if I knew about the “accident” yesterday … that was the first I had heard about it. I pulled up the article on the WESH news page but they didn’t have much info … I found the thread under “Incidents“ forum but at that time whey were just saying “critical” … it was not until I got to work that I saw the post from “skymama“

I will remember Aaron because he was someone who was involved in the sport in so many ways ... as a skydiver, videographer, photo journalist, as a rigger and as a friend.

I remember looking through "Skydiving" November 2007 ... in an article titled "Vintage Parachutes Get Aired Out Over Florida DZ" written by Nancy LaRiviere and I recognized another friend in the photo (far left in the Vintage Parachutes photo) ... I turned the page and noticed the "ride to altitude" photo with the by line "photograph by Aaron Moore". I showed my wife .. hey that's what the twin otter looks like on the inside. The next time I saw crash we talked about his photos.

I saved that issue and pulled it out tonight. I clipped a couple of photos from the article and I wanted to share them ... I want to remember him this way …

If anyone has any photo's of Aaron could you post them or just send to me.

99% of the people on this earth are sheep ... dare to be different

[floatnfly 0]

Here's one I took a while back...

[captain1976 0]

Nice picture. Most recently he was clean shaven an got rid of the long hair.

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime

[SkyChimp 0]

This is horrible My heart goes out to the friends and family. I was soon to get freefly coaching from him this fall as everyone in Deland recommended him. Blue ones brother......

Does anyone else find it funny that we made a SPORT out of an EMERGENCY PROCEDURE?!?!

[skymama 35]

Crash's family will be hosting a Memorial for him on Friday night at 6:00 in Skydive Deland. All are welcome to come celebrate his life.

There will not be an ash dive on Friday because his ashes won't be released until next week.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[TangBu 1]

I met Crash briefly when he visited my home DZ years ago. About five YEARS later when I was visiting Deland, this stranger walks up to me and says "I know you".

Blue skies Crash

...Blair.

[Taz 0]

I met Crash in Eloy at the holiday boogie in 2003. I got an ear infection towards the end of the boogie and couldn't jump, and he hung out with me. I've never been so cheered up while grounded on a DZ.

We kept in touch by email for a long while after I was back home in Africa. I remember exchanging the most unlikely emails with him. He told me about Toronto, working with his father, road trips (he loved morning coffee at Tim Horton's), moving to Deland (he wrote, "It is good to have lushous green of grass and tress leaves just sprouting in spring, as the dominant colour. My long lost green. Dirty, dusty brown, beige, blank and desolate landscape is not for me. It is good to be back in Florida, it still feels like home."), recovering from injury, rigging work.

I wrote to him from internet cafes in Kenya about interviewing herdsmen and analyzing gun trafficking routes. I wrote to him the day after tonto and I woke up at 5am to gunshots outside our flat, to tell him to enjoy life in a place where things were a little more peaceful.

He sent a tub of jalapeno jam all the way to South Africa in a care package. That and a Polar Bear in a can - I'll never forget the bear because it sat on top of tonto's computer for years in a place of honor.

We fell out of touch, but this reminds me how incredible our sport is in the way it connects us to people we would never otherwise meet. The friendships we form can be so unlikely and yet so fulfilling.

I haven't written or spoken to Crash in years but I am wrecked to hear that he's gone. I recently bought a new phone and noticed that his name transferred over to my contacts list, and thought "I wonder what Crash is up to now. I should email him". But I never got around to it. I feel his absence in my world. I will always remember him.

It's the Year of the Dragon.

[clint 1]

I'm not going to say much about my best friend in '99 and '00 but boy oh boy did we spend some time together. And we got into SO much trouble. They hated the two of us hanging out together because we were ALWAYS up to no good.

Shit, I remember that one time..... shoot, there are too many stories to tell and most I cant say on here.

He was CRASH, great at his job, always loved jumping and packing and rigging. I never understood how he could like rigging, he had no patience for people, sometimes, but when it came to your life, the gear was important to him!

I could go on and on and on but, he really was my best friend for 2 years and when I heard the news, it was just like yesterday, we were going to NY for my 1st swooping competition, he said 'Clint, You can beat all these guys, you taught me and I can beat all these guys so it's a sure win for ya" I knew he was lying but it felt great to hear.

Fly free my friend, say hello to my other buddy that is sitting beside you laughing your asses off at us living folk who are still trying to get it right!

Please watch over me, I need the help!

Clint MacBeth
Skydive Moab 435 259 JUMP
M.O.A.B. Mother Of All Boogies Sept 19 - 23, 2012

[LSD3rd 12]

I met Crash in 99 and he lived in a van and outside the van was a full sized fridge sitting on a pallet. When you opened the fridge it was full of Sobes orange drink. I watched him try to set up a remote on a Canon camera so he could take stills in freefall. I was in loft with him when he was starting to do rigging, boy could he pack a reserve. I wish I could of kept in touch with him. I'm was happy to here he had his own loft. Oh yea Crash did like to sew. We will miss you. Dan

Daniel Johnson

[skykatherine 0]

I'm so sorry for your loss Clint. I really liked and respected Crash a lot. We spent a lot of time packing together at Skydive Toronto in the early days. He had his quirky gruff moments, but don't we all? Most of all, he was a kind sweet man with a generous spirit, a most memorable laugh and a heart of gold. All he wanted was a break in life, enjoying what he loved to do. He went after his dreams, and that truly is inspiring. Crash was one of the few fellow packers who never squabbled over the packing work we shared and we worked in harmony together. My husband got to meet Crash this past winter (I hadn't seen him in about 10 years, but it was as if it were yesterday) and we had a lengthy tour of his loft and spent some quality time catching up. I'm grateful for those memories. Blue skies Crash. I know that you're having a blast, wherever you are.
Peace ....

[Paige 0]

The portable tunnel made its way to DeLand a few years ago. Crash was there, attached are a few photos from some video of his flight.

It was a great day hanging around flying and watching friends jump. Crash's energy and determination to fly that tunnel was awesome to watch and fun to be around.

We shared a great day trying to flying a beast of a tunnel together. Good times that will be missed.

Fly free and fast!

Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate
www.TunnelPinkMafia.com

[hparrish 0]

Wow I remember this guy.........Think we jumped together at Lost Prarie maybe. One of them boogies.

He was a layed back, chilled out kind of guy as I remember him.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

[Tolgak 0]

I found out today that he's the rigger that packed my reserve.

I never got to thank him.

Thanks Aaron! I hope the liquor flows plenty, wherever he is.

Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

[clint 1]

I just had another memory of Crash, one that sticks with me EVERY time I make coffee. He never washed out his pot with soap because it ruined the coffee! He was determined that the soap stayed inside the pot!

Anyone ever hear Crash say, Home Depot? He ALWAYS said Home De POT!

So many memories from that year. That fridge, outside his van, I'm sure its still alive too!

-
Clint

[clint 1]

I have to tell this story because it could've changed our lives. Long story short, We met these 2 girls, went to bar, we fought over who got who, I won, I got married to that girl!!

That is one of the best stories of my life. Meeting my wife, almost got in fight with the 2 guys who we stole the girls from...

I'll never forget!!

[jumpyld 0]

Crash sewed the BOC on my rig when i switched it from a pull-out.

Crash saved my life with a reserve repack.

Crash showed me how to speed-shift my VW Golf without taking my foot off the accelerator.

He was one of the first people i met in skydiving on my very first day, clutching his coffee and literally chanting "must pack chutes... must pack chutes..."

He was the first guy to try to explain what this "freefly" thing was to me. That was in '98 when we watched the Clowns videos together every night and tried to mimic this "head down" stuff out of Cessnas...

And the coffee maker thing came from Claire Chow, who washed her carafe with soap even when we asked her not to. That coffee always tasted of soap!

peace, blue skies brother.
ajpen

important safety briefing... don't f*ckin' die!

[livnbored 0]

A year ago today buddy. I hope you're flying, or at least telling someone how they should be doing things. As always.