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 I knew that that I would be writing this someday, but I did not think that it would be so soon. Long time TTRA member and good friend Pete Fox past away Saturday. All of TTRA would like to express our heartfelt condolences to Pete's family. Pete energy will be missed at the launches and in everything else he did. Godspeed Pete.
The following is from Jim West:
I have some sad news to tell everyone. Today a fine person, a good friend, and a fellow rocketeer has passed away. Pete Fox was flying rockets today with his friends at the Tampa Tripoli launch site. It was a good day to fly with calm winds and friends to talk to. His first rocket to go up was an Aerotech Cheetah on a G64. After a successful recovery, he walked up and down the flight line and talked to his friends liked he did every month. Then it was back to business as he finished prepping his dual deployment Ariel to fly on a J180 long burn. When it was ready to go, we walked it out to the high power pad and placed it on the rail. He armed the altimeter put in the Igniter and after a couple of pictures we walked back to the flight line to get ready for the launch. It was a perfect launch with that long burn motor pushing it higher and higher into the sky. After traveling well over a mile high you could hear the deployment. And at 400 feet the main parachute came out and it drifted down towards the tree line.He jumped into his van to recover it taking some of his younger teenage friends with him, why, because everyone likes Pete Fox young and old. was flying rockets today with his friends at the Tampa Tripoli launch site.
The Ariel is hanging in a tree just out of reach, I’m sure if we tried we could get it with a long pole. So, after walking around for a bit he drove back to the flight line.You could tell he was not feeling very well and he said he was ready to leave. We were concerned and decided to drive him home.
So, we loaded up and headed out. We didn’t get very far down the road when he had a heart attack. We took care of him the best we could until the paramedics arrived and rushed him to the hospital. He stayed with us, until Julie, his wife, could get to the hospital.
Pete had terminal cancer and had been living with this condition for the last fifteen months months. It saddens our hearts to see him go, As we will all miss him very much. WE love you Pete, Fly High!!!
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