I'm sorry to inform you all of the death of Cloudhopper, AKA Bob Kupps.

He died April 18th at McKean hospital, after a short battle with a very aggressive brain tumor.

His funeral will take place at Wat Luang, Pai on Sat 21st April from 11am onwards.

 

Moderators, please leave this post in the CM forum, I will add an obituary in the page of remembrance later.

Cloudhopper

RIP Bob

Is this the gentleman who flies/ flew a microlyte, often over my area near Hangdong,  then made top quality videos of the Chiang Mai area generally? Or someone completely different?

17 hours ago, EL159 said:

Is this the gentleman who flies/ flew a microlyte, often over my area near Hangdong,  then made top quality videos of the Chiang Mai area generally? Or someone completely different?

 

I believe he lived in or near Pai.  I very much enjoyed his insights from that area and occasional tales of flight. Looks much too young to have passed but I gather he squeezed a lot of living into his years. RIP Bob.

Bob did fly a microlight out of Doi Saket for a while.

But there are several others that also do that.

I'm unaware if he made any videos.

 

I regret not having taken the initiative to meet cloudhopper in person, the connection being ham radio, specifically CW (International Morse code).

 

I read where he was 63.  Prophetically, he wrote the following in one of his recent posts:

On 1/30/2018 at 1:40 PM, cloudhopper said:

The longest life possible isn't all that long anyway...

RIP cloudhopper

I met Bob in the 2000 , with his wife Duan he was sailing on a 46 "  Wharram catamaran .

i was just arrived in Phuket with my 28 foot   from Italy .

We immediately shared the passion for the sea and the boats , i started up a business of boat repair and painting in Phuket  and Bob went to the North to build his house in Pai , after the house it came a 52 foot aluminum catamaran that i partially rebuilt and completed for him .

"Shaman" is the name of that boat .

Bob has always been a  simple person , but curious , passionate about flying ,sailing , radio ..........a volcano , he was not saying much of what he was doing , a part basic things ...he was not " showing "  , like  i said : a simple person but with a lot of interest about different things ..... a life lover .

He was a friend , a customer for 10 years ,  giving me his trust to keep Shaman in a good shape all this time .

We had  a plan  , to sail to Indonesia , to fly to Italy to see some old traditions that are disappearing  .......

he was saying  :we have to go before it is all gone .

but  all the plans stop  when I  knew that  a quick change on his health happened while he was sailing two months a go .

He knewat that point what it was happening to him and  he said  that he had a good life so.... not complaining about .

I will miss him , the dinners in Pai with a good wine , his funny way to drive a motorbike on the dirty roads over muddy spots , or on the bicycle without hands on the brakes..... he was always happy  .

“this is the life “ is what we probably say in this occasions  ......

but is not really fair to die at 63 , there are still many things to do .

Here in Phuket  all remember him  like a good man :

all my staff , k. Wee from A1 that did a lot of welding and modifications , k. Jittakorn the mechanic ,K.Tui the electrician , K. Manop and his staff .K.Kop and his peoples , K.Stephane with his fridges ,

all they did works on Shaman time to time ,to keep it in a good health .

I have a special affection for Shaman and sadly today i will take it out of the water , on an hardstand  to wait for another sailor to buy it and sail it again to the sea . Shaman will miss him .

We assisted Bob  with the materials to build the huge antennas of his radio station project in Doi Saket , + may other stories ..............an adventure of life together  with some others very good   friends of him  ..........Graham ....Jack

and now  is  leaving a big void .

We will miss him , i will miss him.

By By Bob ......the cloud hopper ,the sailor ,the .............friend.

Faby.

 

 

I would liked to have met Bob. Not only because  we shared a passion for aviation but also for his great insights into the world of finance.

In 2008 during the financial crisis, I remember him for his unwavering  criticism about the fraudulent activities of central bankers who were only concerned about making things look normal again and his prediction that the house of cards would eventually collapse.

He wrote this in 2009 in the very long-running thread entitled “ financial crisis “

 

“I know we're all dead in the long run but I'm gonna have my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames.”

 

Good on you Bob and it seems like you had your kicks and I would also say your timing was impeccable