Mike Maikowski joined the Green River Composite Squadron of
Civil Air Patrol in January 2006, bringing with him the skills of an experienced pilot and air traffic controller. He took
no time in getting his Form 5, and even remarked, “That was really fun!” He won the hearts of the cadets with
orientation rides and tours of the SeaTac Tower. He mesmerized the seniors with entertaining and enlightening stories collected
from his 24 years in the tower, and with a breathtaking slide show of his life long ambition to fly the Alaska coastline.
Mike had a warm smile and made our meetings a lot of fun.
On Monday morning, November 13, 2006,Mike
was doing what he loved most – flying - when something went wrong. Arizona’s Prescott Daily Courier reported,
“A Prescott pilot and a passenger died Monday morning when an experimental/light sport
aircraft crashed near Pilots Rest Airstrip in Paulden, about five miles west of Highway 89… witnesses were in the area…
they saw the plane flying northwest toward nearby mountains, and as it made a turn, it dove into the ground.”
Friends and family gathered together December
2nd to celebrate Mike’s life. From that inspiring memorial, came the birth of a Perpetual Scholarship Fund
to benefit young cadets in the Civil Air Patrol aspiring toward their pilot’s license.
Contributions to this cause are tax deductible and may be sent to
CAP, P.O. Box 306, Kent WA 98035.
