Geoff Chapman

Tragically lost in a light aircraft accident, 10 April 2001

Geoff, along with the pilot and 2 others working for Telstra, died when their Shrike Commander crashed near the top of Thornton Peak in the Daintree area of Far North Queensland.

They were flying from Cairns to Hicks Island, which is off the east coast of Cape York, to carry out design work on a communications system.

Geoff Chapman joined Telstra in 1986 in Townsville after a 21-year career in the RAAF. He started as an engineer working on Switching & Transmission Network investigation and moved into a senior planning role in that area during 1993, where he worked on projects throughout North Queensland. Most recently Geoff was the Senior Planning Engineer responsible for the provision of Customer Radio and Satellite systems in North Queensland. Not only did Telstra consider him to be extremely skilled at planning and project managing customer radio system projects, radio was also one of Geoff's hobbies. His elderly father, his sister and five children survive him.

Some of his RAAF mates saw him at the 2001 Radschool Reunion, held in Brisbane 28 March to 1 April 2001, in the last fortnight of his life.

He was the key player in contacting other 19 Coursers and generating motivation to go to the Laverton Reunion in 1992.

He will be greatly missed.