Floris Steenkamp
THE memorial service is underway at the Swakopmund airfield at 14:00 today for 54-year-old Jacques Jacobs, the pilot who was killed in a helicopter crash at the holiday town on Monday afternoon. Jacobs was test flying a Robinson-44 helicopter when the aircraft went down, also killing 29-year-old Dirk von Weidts, who was soon to qualify as an aircraft maintenance engineer.
Jacobs and von Weidts were deeply respected individuals in Namibia’s aviation fraternity.
Very appropriately, the memorial service for Jacobs takes place at the Swakopmund airfield where he spent his days living out his passion for aviation.
In the highest possible gesture of respect for a departed aviator, a missing man fly-by formation will take place in honour of Jacobs over the airfield.
At the time of going to press, it was yet to be released the final arrangements for the memorial service to take place for Dirk von Weidts sometime next week, during which he too would be honoured with a fly-by.
In the picture above: the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources upheld a candle vigil for the late Jacobs at its Walvis Bay office this week, honouring his life and contributions as a team member of the Ministry’s aerial fisheries patrol unit.
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