Honorees

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Year Honored
2008
Honoree
Ron Laubacher
Agency
Hawaii Air Ambulance
Agency City
Honolulu
Agency State
HI
Last Call
1/31/04
Cause of Death
Medical Aviation Accident
Biography
Ron would always follow up on the sick or hurt children that he flew, he did not have kids of his own, and he felt a kindred spirit for them. He would always reassure their parents that they have some of the best minds in the world taking care of their baby. The last patient that he flew named her premature baby son after Ron, saying, "He is our hero; he made us feel safe, and he was so kind." The pilot was highly respected for his flying ability.<br /> <br /> Ronald Laubacher, 38, of Waikiki, Hawaii was killed in the line of duty on January 31, 2004. He was piloting the medical plane that went down in the tropical rainforest of Hawaii's northeastern coast, where the cliffs are steep and the foliage is very dense. Ronnie was flying to Helo Airport to conduct a patient transport. Stormy weather is thought to be the main factor in the fatal crash that took the lives of the medical team of three.<br /> <br /> Laubacher had previously flown tourist flights over the Grand Canyon and had worked medical flights between Oahu and the neighbor islands.<br /> <br /> Ron's co-workers held a memorial honoring his work and his dedication. Cans of coke, and chicken teriyaki were served, as stories were told about Ron and his work. Leis and flowers were gently tossed into the lagoon in tribute to the fallen pilot. "He loved flying. He always knew that he wanted to be a pilot," stated his older sister, Pam Swigert. His father was a commercial pilot; he grew up around planes and he would listen to their stories and remembered their advice.<br /> <br /> Honored 2008