It is with a sad heart that I have to say that Marion is no longer with us. We have lost a great ambassador for the gyro community I was fortunate to have her in my life as a mentor and good friend.

The Family ask me to post this for them, Good by to our mother, Marion Springer, pioneer gyro pilot, CFI. Our mother loved flying more than anything in the world, next to her family, Docko, her husband and 4 children, Linda, Dave, Coby, Donna and her to beloved grandchildren Lonni and Crystal. Next came her love for animals. She will be missed by all.

Anyone who new or talked with Marion new her passion for gyro's. She lived life to the fullest and was still flying at 80 years young. Anyone would be lucky to live a full and exciting life as Marion did. She was a great promoter of safety in gyro's and through her training saved countless life's including mine. This sounds like a celebration of life, but, still it's sad that she is not with us anymore.

Thank you Dave.
It is, by all means, a gigantic loss for the gyro community.
She was a true free spirit and her legacy will live on.
We were lucky enough to know her.
My deepest sympathy for the family and friends.

Fair winds and following seas Maid Marion!
You will surely be missed. I know Dave and I have had such wonderful chats with her and her family were more than welcoming and helpful to me on the Night Mike died.
I know this is hitting you hard Dave, call if you want to chat.
here is a pic of Marion the last time I saw her take to the skys!

Heres another

I have met some truly remarkable people over my lifetime and she was easily in the top rung. We are diminished as a people for this loss.

I agree, Marion was a very remarkable woman, We enjoyed talking to her at Bensen days when she was there.
Godspeed Marion.

Sweet memories!

GLENN KERR's post from RWF ...El Mirage2012



Glenn & Jim ....what a couple of goofballs ...Marion still gave me grief about being in cahoots ...when Jim grabbed her hand! (I HAD NO IDEA what he was about to do when he handed me his phone to take that pic at BDays!)

WE lost on Tuesday eve a very special lady in the gyro community ... Pioneer gyro pilot lady CFI Marion Springer (89)

.......Even those of us who knew this was coming sooner than later are SO SAD to hear this news! & extend our loving thoughts & uplifting prayers to Marion's blood family ...while we - her gyro family grieve along with them.

Marion mentored me from afar by email while I was a struggling gyro student-pilot!

Jim & I had so many good memories of her guest-of-honor time at 2013 Bensen days ...so many treasured memories & laughs!

When my Jim died, Marion extended her special hand of friendship ...resulting in me staying with her during the El Mirage event in 2016 .....a chance to sit around her kitchen table for morning/evening meals & soak up her less shared more personal stories& wisdom & forge a special gyro-gal-pilot friendship spanning the generations! I loved reading her gyro-journey story & CFI experiences in her book ( many times) ...and hear more from her in person!
She had also collated a valuable group of training articles she wrote to help this new generation of pilots who wish to fly the "legacy" single seat gyros!

I was honored to have Marion consent to come fly with me at ROTR 2017 ...in my Titanium Explorer! ...she did not have much time for the "new-gen" gyro's - so this was a TRUE honor for me - as a pilot! El Mirage 2017 ...flying my own gyro around Marion's historic flying /training grounds was special ...as well as the time she spent visiting with everyone out on the Lakebed event site.

Many of us felt that as El Mirage 2018 was in all reasonable likelihood to be Marion's last to enjoy with us - her gyro children .....many of us made a special effort to be there to celebrate together one last time ( even if we did not bring our machines ) - we got that precious time to visit & enjoy her humor & stories! .....SO GLAD WE DID! ...enjoy your rest from earthly trials & FLY - FREE with the angels & all those we love who passed on before!