KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 – Activist Syed Azmi Alhabshi sang praises of helicopter pilot Captain Cliff Fournier, who perished in the Semenyih helicopter crash, saying he was a “humble” man. He said he knew Fournier by chance and it started with an innocent post on Facebook when he said that he would love to help the flood victims in Terengganu if only he had a helicopter to get there. “The next day, Fournier reached out to me when I was in the United States embassy and offered a helicopter for my mission.
“That was just the kind of man he was. “He proved that even someone like me could make a difference … just us normal people,” he told. He said with Fournier, there were no formalities. “He talked to me like I was his brother and he guided us by showing us the safety precautions in flying. “He proved that Malaysians of all races could help each other and not depend on big corporations to do so.” Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin also paid tribute to Fournier on his Twitter and Instagram accounts.
“Cliff was a great pilot. He taught me how to fly the helicopter and gave me the courage and confidence to take to the sky. “I managed to find a video of us flying in Kelantan earlier this year, bringing aid to flood victims. “That last frame with his face will be how I will always remember him. Flying with a smile, up in the sky. “RIP, buddy,” he said on the Instagram post. Fournier was one of the six killed when his helicopter crashed near Semenyih, Kajang, yesterday while on the way to Subang airport from Kuantan.
The Kare 11 website in the United States reported that those who knew Fournier, 47, in Minnesota (his home state) also mourned his loss. “He had a certain charisma about him. Not just with his kids and his wife but as he met people he just always kept your interest,” said Chris Webb, a pilot with Minnesota Helicopters. “One of the guys who was always very energising to be around, very positive influence.”
Webb called Fournier a gentle giant, always calm and cool, and one heck of a pilot. Richard Anderson, a former mayor of Princeton, MN, recalled meeting Fournier for the first time while pumping gas. The two would remain close friends for nearly 30 years. Soon after graduating, Fournier moved to California and joined the Marine Corps. About 15 years ago, Fournier saw an opportunity to buy a helicopter company in Malaysia and never turned back, according to Fournier’s mother, Barbara Fournier.
