GUNNISON COUNTY, Colo. — Friends and family of fallen helicopter pilot Nicholas Dale are sharing more about the man he was, as first responders and community members paid tribute with a procession Monday morning from Montrose to the Denver International Airport.
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Authorities said Dale, 56, was killed while battling the Gold Mountain Fire near Ouray. He was flying a Kaman K-1200 K-MAX helicopter when it crashed at the Silver Jack Reservoir dip site in Gunnison County last Monday, according to authorities. Dale was employed by Helicopter Express, an Atlanta-based helicopter operator specializing in firefighting, search and rescue, executive charter, and powerline operations.
Dale was born in Australia and lived in Sooke, British Columbia. Behind the uniform and the headlines was a husband, a father of two, and by all accounts, a private and humble man.
"He was an extraordinary, extraordinary person," Dale's older sister Sarah Dawson, who lives in Australia, said. "He just was a very down to earth Aussie bloke and I think that's why so many people that he came into contact with loved him."
She said Dale was a meticulous and dedicated pilot who took his responsibilities seriously.
"Once he started flying, you know, he was very dedicated to, you know, to his craft. Would never have jeopardized his career, the company's reputation... jeopardize anybody else's safety," Dawson said.
Dawson said Dale was selfless by nature and a man who would have been amused, not moved, by the public attention surrounding his death.
"I mean, he would be laughing his head off at all this publicity and and honoring," Dawson said. "He would just think it was hilarious because never a a more humble, you know, bloke you could meet."
Adam Gilliver, a college friend of Dale's, said they around 1993 when the two studied together at Glenormiston Agricultural College in Victoria, Australia.
"Nick started his life as a, as you would probably say over there, a cowboy," Gilliver said. "He was a a station hand and worked on many properties in and around Queensland and South Australia as well."
Gilliver said Dale eventually made his way to North America, where he pursued new opportunities, including flying helicopters for wildland fire operations.
"He did everything he wanted to do. Yeah, he was a he's a true Aussie," Gilliver said. "We're just very proud of our mate who's a hero. Died with his boots on and you know, serving people of the other side of the world."
Monday's procession carried Dale's body from Montrose through Colorado communities along Interstate 70, passing through Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs, Vail, and Silverthorne before arriving at the airport. Dawson said the outpouring of support from strangers along the route was deeply meaningful.
"These people didn't know him but wanted to honor him, and that just means so much," Dawson said. "The outpouring of grief that has been shown around the world, not just here in Australia, and you know certainly not just in America, but just around the world."
Savannah Montero, a K-MAX pilot who worked alongside some of Dale's colleagues, said word of the crash spread quickly through the tight-knit aviation community.
"Word travels real quick. It makes us all completely sick when something like this happens," Montero said. "The aviation world, it's like having a second family. You become very close with everyone."
She said the job requires long hours from spring through fall, a stretch of time when pilots often spend more time with their coworkers than with their own families.
"The whole community is close. We watch out for each other. We support each other," Montero said.
Montero is now working to raise money for Dale's wife and children through a GoFundMe.
"You can't fix that hole, but you can really plant a garden around it," Montero said.
Governor Jared Polis released a statement following Dale's death:
"I was devastated to hear that Nicholas Dale, a brave frontline fire aviation pilot, died battling the Gold Mountain Fire. I, and every Coloradan, am deeply grateful for the thousands of brave firefighters and pilots across the state protecting us and our communities. My heart goes out to the pilot's friends, family, and colleagues who mourn this immense loss. We are committed to supporting our brave firefighters and their families, and the State stands ready to support any investigation into this tragic incident. Once selected, state flags will be ordered to fly at half-staff on Nicholas's memorial date to honor his bravery and sacrifice."
