Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services

Fort Simpson (July 08/02) - A pilot who died in a mid-air crash over Germany is remembered fondly by his former employer in Fort Simpson.

Ted Grant, owner of Simpson Air, said he remembers the smile of Brant Campioni, one of the dead pilots, who flew with the company from 1993 to 1994.

"He had a smile like the Cheshire cat," said Grant.

Campioni, 35, died while co-piloting a 757 cargo plane for San Francisco-based DHL out of Muharraq, Bahrain that collided with a Russian chartered passenger jet over Germany on July 1.

Grant heard of the crash shortly after it happened when he received a phone call from another former pilot in British Columbia.

"I was shocked," said Grant."You know sometimes the odd one might meet their demise, but you don't expect it. I guess it's the type of business we are in."

Grant said he gave Campioni his first job flying Twin Otter float-planes as a co-pilot.

"He was my co-pilot," said Grant. "He was a young guy learning the ropes."

By the time Campioni left the company in 1993, he was doing runs with a Cessna 206.

Grant said Campioni had the skills to become a good pilot.

"He was a good pilot and handled airplanes really well," said Grant, a 30-year veteran pilot. "You can tell if a guy can make it in bush flying. Some have it, some don't."

All 69 people in the Russian airplane died.

Campioni and his pilot were the only two people in the cargo plane.