A Good By To Jack Hooker

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Our friend and close family member Jack Hooker passed away while at Oshkosh. He has been a long time member and had the passion for aviation and and its members for a long time. I had great times with him at fly ins and visiting him at his home airport. His obituary can be found from Freeport Illinois. VFR and Tailwinds now Jack. JEFF


Jack Hooker and the Cessna 120/140 Association. By Don Alesi.
"You don't know Jack!" I sure did and so many of you did too. I met Jack Hooker at our first Convention in Davenport Iowa in 1992. Jack had been coming to the annual conventions for as long as anyone can remember. He would always have a set of his custom shoulder harness for a raffle prize. When asked to say something about the harnesses, His only comment was I make the best in the business, and they fit." He flew his own 120 for years and always helped at the conventions (mostly the Hospitality room).

Jack was more interested in hanging out with people and our group. Jack was known for having a keg of beer in his van. When you were around Jack the beer and the stories flowed freely. He could laugh at himself, and his flying skills were the subject of much entertainment. He even got a good view of the "Top Gun" school. He was known for his fasion statement with blue jeans.

The only time Jack was ever serious was when someone crashed, and he found out that they had been wearing his shoulder harnesses. He would give them a "Hooker Test pilot patch" I saw many people (including Cessna 120/140 drivers) come up to Jack and proudly show off the patch.

Jack's Harness company speaks for itself. I, and so many others, can only speak for the wonderful, larger than life person who became friends, with everyone he met.

If "You don't know Jack"; then you really missed out. Maureen and I were proud to be his friend.

Don Alesi


I really hated hearing this. At the last convention in Atlanta, I took care of Jack and became his driver for a couple of days. We got to talk a lot. I'm a very curious person by nature and I learned a lot about his early years, his love for diving, the business he started and sold, and much more... He was a chatter box and sort of told me his life story. Jack knew my background in business and he discussed with me him selling his business, some legal issues that arouse afterwards, as well as the long term payments he was getting from the sale. I don't have the feeling that he would need final arrangements cost assistance, to be honest. (I only mention that because it came up earlier)

I think Jack was an awesome guy and I know he loved our association. I've always thought Jack was fascinating with the business he started from nothing and ran in the aviation sector for so long. Getting to talk to him for so long and hearing his story was amazing to me personally.

You have no idea how glad I am that I got to be his chauffeur at the last convention and got to spend a lot of time with him.

Let's all be thankful for everyday we have.
Blake Mathis

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I'll always remember Jack in the very front of the white water raft on the New River at the Ona West Virginia convention. We took on a LOT of water! And the red 140...
Blue Skies, old friend.

(There were some other names you'd recognize on that raft that day, too!)