BOB NICHOLSON 1947 - 1980 PILOT, FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR DEN Back in the early Challenger days Captain Bob Nicholson and 1st Officer Jack Schade were flying a trip through CYS in 65276.  Jack was flying I believe.  Actually my account of this is hearsay.  I never did get any first hand account of this.  Anyway the runway had ice on it.  The captain became apprehensive about something and applied brakes.  The airplane slid for a short distance and then hit a patch of dry concrete.  Good old 65276 wound up on its nose then.  EP Lietz (8/8/99) It was 65276 that Bob Nicholson and Jack Schade had an incident in CYS where they did what Douglas Aircraft said was impossible and parked it on its nose. -Billy Walker (8/9/99) January 27, 1949, Cheyenne, Wyoming. Challenger Airlines Co. Quote: From CAB Resume’ of U. S. Air Carrier Accidents, Calendar year 1949. A landing was made which was normal except for being slightly faster than usual. As brakes were applied they locked in sliding over a small snow covered area and upon reaching the dry concrete, the plane nosed up. The Wyoming State Tribune, Cheyenne, WY. Friday, January 28, 1949, reported the Incident. Challenger Airlines flight No. 1. ....Propellors of the plane were bent when they nicked the ground. Crew; Captain Bob Nicholson, Co-Pilot Jack Schade, Stewardess, Eleanor Bastar. -Ken Schultz (8/13/99) I loved (almost) every captain I ever flew copilot for. We all have our favorites. With all respect, I have not mentioned any of the captains that were with the original Challenger Airlines because I had checked out as captain about the time of merger of our companies. I did fly with Bob Nicholson (ex-Challenger) when he was an instructor in the Boeing 727. I had a different flight instructor but had one session with Bob. I learned more in that one hour or so with Bob than I had in all the previous hours of training with the other instructor. -Ace Avakian in an article in the FARPA NEWSLETTER JAN/FEB 2003 (2/4/03) Just talked to Billy Walker on the phone an hour ago. Captain Bob Nicholson flew West this morning. Will send more info as it becomes available. -Phil Stallings (7/6/09) I just received word from Billy Walker that Bob died sometime this morning July 6th. More details as they are forwarded. "The Leaves Keep Falling". -Jack Schade (7/6/09) R J NICHOLSON Pilot seniority date of 3/10/47 on the 9/1/72 FL/ALPA seniority list. He is not on the 1981 list. Probably retired in 1980 when he was 60. -Jake Lamkins (7/6/09) Latest report from Billy Walker .... 1930 hrs - 7/6/09 I'll pass on more info when I get it .... -Phil Stallings ======================================== With regrets - I received a call from Janet Avakian early this morning that Captain Bob Nicholson Flew West earlier. He had been under hospice care for the ravages of Alzheimer’s. As Jack Shade aptly put it, “The Leaves Are Falling!” Ace will likely have further details after he returns from out-of-town. -Billy Walker (7/6/09) OBITUARY Robert J. Nicholson "R.J.", 89, passed away July 6, 2009. Beloved husband of Helen for 67 years; devoted father of Sharon von Schilgen and Robert (Lindsay) Nicholson, II; and proud grandfather of Eric von Schilgen, Kendall Nicholson and Joe Nicholson. After serving in the US Air Force for 6 years, he was a pilot for 40 years with Frontier. Memorial Service Thursday, July 9, 1:00 PM, at Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 11150 E. Dartmouth Ave., Aurora. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Cancer League of Colorado, PO Box 5373, Englewood, CO 80155-5373. -Denver Post on 7/7/09 OBITUARY Robert Joseph Nicholson Born in Utah on Mar. 19, 1920 Departed on Jul. 6, 2009 and resided in Aurora, CO. Service: Thursday, Jul. 9, 2009 Cemetery: Fort Logan National Cemetery Nicholson, Robert J. "R.J.", 89, passed away July 6, 2009. Beloved husband of Helen for 67 years; devoted father of Sharon von Schilgen and Robert (Lindsay) Nicholson, II; and proud grandfather of Eric von Schilgen, Kendall Nicholson and Joe Nicholson. After serving in the US Air Force for 6 years, he was a pilot for 40 years with Frontier. Memorial Service Thursday, July 9, 1:00 PM, at Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 11150 E. Dartmouth Ave., Aurora. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Cancer League of Colorado, PO Box 5373, Englewood, CO 80155-5373. -Horan & McConaty Funeral Home (7/7/09) Posted at the FL Club DEN pilot Bob Nicholson's obituary is at http://www.legacy. com/obituaries/ denverpost/ obituary. aspx?n=robert- j-nicholson& pid=129366249 Bob was 89 and flew for FL 1947-80 Be sure to sign his guestbook. -Jake Lamkins (7/7/09)