Marvin Renslow Pursued His Dream Of Becoming A Pilot

Friends gathered last Friday for the Tampa, FL funeral of Marvin Renslow, 47, the pilot of downed Continental Connection Flight 3407, called Renslow cool, collected, and by-the-book, a meticulous pilot who was always calm and in control.

As ANN reported, on February 12, the Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 twin-engine turboprop airplane operated by Colgan Air as Continental Express flight 3407 crashed into a house during an instrument approach to Buffalo International Airport in adverse weather conditions. 44 passengers, two pilots, two flight attendants, one off-duty pilot, and one person on the ground lost their lives.

Jeff Linquist, Renslow's former roommate and a private pilot, said, "He was always 'by the book.' There's a lot of guys out there that do fly by the seat of their pants, but he wasn't one of them."

Former coworker Denise Gambill Harrison bristled at the suggestion that pilot error might have caused the fatal crash. "It makes me mad," she said. "He's a very thought-precise person. He thinks. Sometimes too much, probably."

Originally hailing from a small Iowa town, Renslow took aviation classes from Guilford Technical Community College, and earned his degree in 1992. He earned his private, instrument, single and multiengine ratings while working his way up through the hospitality industry, according to Associated Press reports.

Renslow began his airline training in 2003 at Gulfstream Training Academy in Fort Lauderdale, and soon went to work for Gulfstream International Airlines. He moved on to fly for Colgan Air in 2005. Linquist said Renslow loved flying and being a pilot. "You can't really explain the feeling until you've actually done it," Linquist said.

Renslow's 12-year-old daughter Kaley showed remarkable resolve at the funeral. "My dad did everything he could to save the lives of the people on the plane," she said. "But it was just his time. Along with everyone else."

FMI: www.colganair.com, www.ntsb.gov