http://www.f-16.net/inmemoriam_tribute129.html
May 19, 2004 is a day we will remember for the rest of our lives. On that fateful night, the aircraft that LTA Brandon “CHIP” Loo was flying crashed into the Arizona desert, about 90 Nm south of Luke. On that fateful night, all our lives changed, in the blink of an eye, in a turn to the notch, in a descent to the ground. On that fateful night, the Black Widows, the Air Force and indeed, an entire nation lost a brother, a friend and a comrade.
Chip was the quintessential fighter pilot – reliable, aggressive, yet cool and precise, both in the air and on the ground.
He handled his flying exceptionally well and was scheduled to get his CAT A while on tour here, uncommon for pilots who come as CAT Ds.
On the ground, he carried out his duties diligently, and was an excellent mentor to the more junior pilots such as myself. Chip was always ready to help, whenever he could, and always with an infectious smile.
Outside of work, it was no different. If anyone knew how to have a good time, Chip did. He played a mean game of football and was always up for a party, a cuppa, a movie or a game of mahjong on the weekends.
Chip was very much an essential part of all our lives, and the incident impacted us tremendously. But I’m sure, in true Chip fashion, that he’d want us to move on, to learn from this incident – for there isn’t a single one among us who’d hesitate one moment to strap ourselves onto the back of the armoured angel and soar once again into the heavens, to dance among the clouds, to sweep the skies with fire and steel.
Chip, I’m sure you’re in a better place now, where you fly BFM all day and never run out of gas, and then at dusk, you grease a landing and swagger into the bar for a cold beer. I’d like to dedicate this to you – friend, colleague, fighter pilot; and leave you with a poem:
We toast our hearty comrades who have fallen from the skies,
And were gently caught by God’s own hand to be with him on high.
To dwell among the soaring clouds they’ve known so well before,
From victory roll to tail-chase, at heaven’s very door.
As we fly among them there, we’re sure to heed their plea;
To take care my friend, watch your six, and do one more roll for me.
