CF-18s Roar Over Nova Scotia In Memorial To Capt. Derek Nichols

The four CF-18s flew low as they headed for a cemetery in northern Nova Scotia Tuesday. Suddenly, one of them pulled up in a vertical climb -- the missing man formation. It was a tribute to Canadian Forces Captain Derek Nichols, killed June 28th in a US Marines F/A-18 crash at Beaufort Naval Air Station (SC).

Nichols, 34, was an exchange pilot serving with the Marine Corps. He was returning to Beaufort from Denmark -- his last mission in the three-year program, before he was to head back to Canada. Something happened as he was landing -- the Hornet went down, killing him.

Nichols' best friend, CF Major Peter Earle, told the mourners at a graveside service in The Falls, Nova Scotia, that several of the American pilots with whom he flew called Nichols an exceptional pilot.

"I can guarantee those weren't just kind words," Earle said at the service, quoted by Canadian Press. "I had no less than a dozen pilots come up and tell me the same sort of story last week as we celebrated the mass after his service down there."

Marines Losing Too Many Aircraft?

Nichols' crash was one of two last week involving USMC fighters -- one of five from Beaufort alone since October -- leading to questions about the safety of the Marine Corps flight program. On June 26th, Capt. Franklin Hooks (USMC) was killed in a training accident near the Azores in the Atlantic.

The Marine "Class A" accident rate -- accidents that result in death or in more than $100,000 damage -- keeps up for the rest of the fiscal year, it will be the highest since 1990 at 4.9 accidents per 100,000 flight hours. That compares to a Navy Class A rate of 1.16 and an Air Force rate of just 1.15 accidents per 100,000 flight hours.

In February, Marine Brig. Gen. Samuel Helland testified before the House Armed Services Committee that the war on terrorism and long-duration military operations could be among the reasons for the higher numbers.

"This uncertainty, compounded by an increased desire to train harder to prepare for combat, may be an underlying factor," he said.

Captain Derek Nichols of the Canadian Forces has gone west, where there are no more wars to fight. Happy landings, Captain.

FMI: www.dnd.ca, www.usmc.mil