Heather McRoberts

[Gregory Matthews]

Date: July 30, 2006

Time: Early morning.

As 19 year-old Heather McRoberts walked to the parking area, she surveyed the country-side. The weather was great for an early morning flight. The trip would be short, just a hop, skip and jump across the Continental Divide.

She walked around the aircraft, a single-engine Citrbria 7KCAB, and it checked out fine. This was her pride and joy, the air plane she owned and flew for pleasure. Her second aircraft was the one she flew for work.

Aviation was in her blood. She had taken her first airplane ride before she was one month old. On the day of her 14th birthday, she had soloed in a glider. In 2004 she had gone on a national tour promoting youth and women in aviation roles. While on that trip, she had give more that 60 airplane rides to children.

An experienced pilot, with a comercial license, she made her living flying, and was enrolled in an aviation program working toward a college degree, and an increased future as a pilot. Whe had many hours of flight time behind her. She also enjoyed rock climbing, kayaking, and kiteboarding.

Flying with her that day was 30 year-old David Para. He worked with Heather, held a comercial pilots license, and was a very experienced pilot.

The take-off was uneventful. As Heather gained altitude in preparation for crossing the Continental Divide, she pointed the nose of the aircrafe toward the mountains.

Then something went wrong. At something over 11,000 feet the airplane nose-dived into the side of a mountain. Both Heather and David were killed instantly.

A memorial service was held for Heather early Saturday morning, August 5, at the airport where she was employed. The auditorium was filled with people, and many were standing in the asiles. Friends and family flew in from California, and other areas. They attended from local Seventh-day Adventist churches, as well as from California, as Heather attended a SDA Church in the Rocky Mountain Conference, and many of her family were SDAs.

Others attended from the aviation community, as Heather was well known. [NOTE: You can google <Heather McRoberts> and read a news article on her death, as printed in the BOULDER CAMERA.]

She will be missed by the many who knew her.