LongmontAirport.Com - Jeff Sands A Memorial

Jeff Sands

A Memorial

Jeffrey J. "Jeff" Sands

August 20, 1953 - April 26, 2003

Well, here it is. The first new page in a while, and unfortunately one having to do with a recently passed on friend. Wasn't sure where to start, but I knew in the past if there was an error, something that could make it better, Jeff would let me know. Instead I just sat here in front of a monitor feeling a little lost, and a big loss. Jeff was more than an ally, he was a friend. What you see on this site is in large part due to Jeff. Sure, I came up with the catchy name and initial website work, but Jeff contributed more than most people knew. His constructive criticism was just that, constructive. He knew I had some ideas of what I wanted to say, and he fostered our shared interests and goals as he steered and guided me in the right directions. He volunteered much of his time and money in this effort. He saw in me a fellow bulldog that would stand up for what was right, even if it wasn't the easiest route to take. He offered his talents in web design and promotion. He gathered information, took pictures, and let me in on some of the history of the city and the airport. Many times I wanted to quit this as I find no joy in looking for and exposing the worst in people. Just as many times, Jeff would tell me I was doing the right thing, always giving positive reinforcement why we do what we do. Of course, in Jeff's style, he would later remind me of those long talks where he had to keep me going. Jeff helped with the petition drive that was critical in establishing the Noise Abatement Procedure. I'm sure there was even more he did behind the scenes that I'm not aware of to help the cause.

I was warned early on to steer clear of Jeff. I had heard that some of the very people that could and would help me had a history with Jeff, and may not be as helpful if they knew he was helping me as well. I wanted to find out for myself. I'm glad I did as we hit it off right away and became good friends. Prior to meeting Jeff, I had seen the skydivers at the airport. I'd personally never jump out of a perfectly good airplane, and we joked about this later, but I thought it was terrific that Longmont had something like that at their airport. I'd sit on my balcony and watch them come out of the plane and watch them all the way to the ground. I could hear the chutes open, hear the jumpers whoop and holler, and it all looked great. I'd then watch the planes practically fall out of the sky, often getting down before some of the jumpers. "What a pilot", I'd think. I started listening on my scanner to see how it worked with the aircraft traffic. I was impressed by the standardization and procedures they used. It was predictable and safe, from what I could tell. When I resumed my flying, I was anxious to see how it'd be flying near the jumpers and the jump planes. Never a problem, and always consistent. Before I moved to Longmont, I heard what a "cowtown" it was, the armpit of Colorado. I figured with something as progressive as this operation, and all the young people it was bringing here, someone confused this city with another. Jeff created the cool center of Longmont's universe with this place he ran, how could anyone have a problem with it? Boy, oh boy was I in for an education.

One thing Jeff and I often agreed on was the dislike of discrimination. Narrowing it down to the aviation field, I think the best thing for any airport is to have it as diverse as possible. It's good for its image and future survivability. While I stick to good old fashioned American built mass produced metal aircraft, just because I do doesn't mean that all the other types of interests shouldn't be served at the airport. Gliders, ultralights, skydivers, homebuilts, helicopters, gyroplanes - I'm sure I'm leaving someone out - but they should all be there. And when the federal government is kicking in millions in funds for an airport, discrimination should never even be thought of. Some of the people, from what I've been told (if I'm wrong, or right for that matter, I'm sure I'll hear about this either way), just didn't want skydiving as one of the types of operations at this airport. Some were users, some were at the city level. Even though I'd never strap on a chute, I'd defend someone's right to operate a legitimate and legal business. Be it dropping jumpers out of a plane, putting a lawnmower engine on a powered parachute, or towing a glider. They're all forms of what us aviators love to do, FLY! Apparently, skydiving was not put on a level playing field in Longmont as other aviation activities. What would be next? No more high-wing aircraft because people on the ground would feel they're being watched? Jeff fought the skydiving fight before I came on the scene, and while he infuriated a few on the ground, he more than made up for it in the thousands of lives he changed for the better with the experience of a lifetime he offered with his business. How many business's do you know of that could boast that? Not many.

Once Jeff asked me if people thought he was a ‘cowboy’. I laughed and told him that’s exactly what people thought of him, and not always in a positive way. He had just gotten a tongue lashing at City Council by some guy who didn’t care for him. I told him not to let it bother him, that the majority of people in the world only dream of doing what he’s done, and since when did other peoples opinions slow him down? Those were the same people, he’d tell me, that had no joy in their lives. They were the same people who would get mad at him or his jumpers for yelling on their way down from a jump, exhilarated from the experience. You could tell from his words he was more than a business man, he wanted to give his customers something to remember for a lifetime, and I’m sure he succeeded in that.

Right up until the end, he was giving me advice on the site. He’d pull me aside at Airport Advisory Board and City Council meetings to ask how things were, always there to support me. I’m going to miss our conversations, our common goals, but mostly I’m just going to miss Jeff. But what will he do for thrills in the afterlife? One thing I know that would make him unhappy is for this site, or the fight it fights, to go away. In death, as in life, he'll keep me motivated to continue this.

He was one of those “bigger than life” kind of guys, you don’t meet many like him. I’m really glad I did.

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