Shmuel (Sam) Korb <<chairman>>
writes:

It it is with great sadness that I am writing to let the
international hang gliding community know of the passing of Amir Shalom.

Amir took his own life over the last weekend, and he was laid to rest on Monday
in Petach Tikvah, outside of Tel Aviv. His funeral was attended by hundreds of
people who knew him, with the entire Israeli aviation community represented.

Amir was a pillar of the Israeli Hang Gliding Association, serving at various
points in almost every function of the organization, and was our frequent
representative at CIVL competitions the world over. He was a wealth of knowledge
that I can say I personally only began to tap before he left us so suddenly.

Aviation was Amir's great love. Besides hang gliders, he flew and taught others
to fly almost anything he could get his hands on: gliders, light sport aircraft,
paragliders, powered parachute, general aviation. For the last six years, he was
employed by the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority.

Amir's passing leaves in its wake an emptiness that will be impossible to fill
for all those who knew him and were touched by him. May his memory be for a
blessing.