To those who fly, the sky is home

I'm somewhat distressed to find out about the passing of a friend of mine who during August was taken from us in a glider mishap in California.

What hurts more is that it was featured in on the BBC news website and I completely missed the reports.

Geoff moved from Wales to the USA over 26 years ago and during the eighties and nineties set major hang gliding records. He was a natural in the air and it was nice to hear his "voice of the valleys" across the radiowaves when soaring above the Nevadan and Californian high desert.

Geoff's glider was found on a mountainside 10,000 feet up. There is some uncertainty as to what caused the crash, in time I expect details will come out.

So to a decent Welshman I unintentionally offended at the end of an American bar back in 1998 - which lead to some good advice - let me raise a pint of the good stuff to you.

Keep on soaring Geoff.