Paul Cordell passed away

[stephen northcraft]

I was reading SOARING magazine today and noted that Paul Cordell was listed in the 'Final Glides".  He passed away April 1^st in Bend, OR.

For those of you who didn't know him, Paul was an integral part of the soaring scene in the Northwest in the 1970s and 80s, and even later.  He started flying as a teenager and  was the second owner of "Old Dog", regularly flying at Ephrata.  He also flew a 2-place Nimbus (I think) at Ephrata for a couple seasons.

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https://www.facebook.com/groups/tucsonsoaring/posts/10162834596978309/

[Eric Greenwell]

That's sad to hear, as I knew Paul for many years, even visited him several times after he moved to the Phoenix area. I lost touch with him about 10 years ago, and wish I'd known he'd moved to Bend.

Eric

[Noel Wade]

Thanks for sharing this unfortunate news, Steve.

  

For those that didn't know him, Paul was a gentle soul who nevertheless had a great wit and a lot of enthusiasm for our sport. Paul was a great pilot, and when he moved up to WA he bought a 2 seat Nimbus specifically to mentor pilots in cross-country soaring - and was part of the inspiration for me getting the DuoDiscus I now have. 

  

Sadly, Paul was diagnosed with Parkinson's awhile back and as his condition progressed he was forced to give up soaring and move away. I stayed in touch with him off and on for several years, and can report that he had great success with the LVST "BIG" & "Loud" programs - improving his quality of life and slowing the progression of symptoms for awhile. 

I visited with him a few years ago in Bend as I was driving home from an SSA Reno convention. Where others might've become frustrated or bitter at their situation, Paul continued to be kind, caring, and focused on the positives. He was not in denial about his situation, nor did he shrink from it; but he made the conscious decision to focus on positives and the successes in his life and in the lives of those around him. 

  

Unfortunately, I too lost touch with Paul over the last 1.5 - 2 years and I'm sad that I was unable to be supportive in his final stretch. I continue to be inspired by his warmth and his attitude, and I know he'll continue to be fondly remembered by a lot of us!

  

--Noel

  

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[Ron Bellamy]

Noel, you have the best way of saying things I couldn’t put it better so thank you for the recap. I had known Paul from the early days of Soaring in Issaquah and going over to Wenatchee to fly. He was an inspiration to me, and as a matter of fact he helped me to understand wave flight, which is where I got my first really high wave flight over Mission Ridge. I’ll never forget his advice and his manner in all the years that we flew together.

Ron

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On Jul 2, 2026, at 5:19 PM, Noel Wade <noel...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Jacek Kobiesa]

That’s a sad news. I visited Paul in his Arizona home after he moved from Ephrata. He will be missed.

Jacek

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On Jul 2, 2026, at 8:01 PM, Ron Bellamy <rwbe...@gmail.com> wrote:

Noel, you have the best way of saying things I couldn’t put it better so thank you for the recap. I had known Paul from the early days of Soaring in Issaquah and going over to Wenatchee to fly. He was an inspiration to me, and as a matter of fact he helped me to understand wave flight, which is where I got my first really high wave flight over Mission Ridge. I’ll never forget his advice and his manner in all the years that we flew together.

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[Rita Edris]

Beautifully said Noel! Paul was a smart, kind, and funny person, and an excellent pilot. I was lucky to know him and to have an XC flight with him in the Nimbus. He stopped by at Ephrata 4 years ago, and he came up with the funniest line about the mouse that showed up in my cockpit mid-flight in the Methow after getting in it at night for the spearmint chew gum. "Flight review: 4 stars - The flight was great, the food was chewy." 

It is sad that Parkinson took him away from soaring way too early and cut his life short. It is so nice to hear how he inspired greatness in others :)

He will be fondly remembered. 

Rita

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[Dave Reusch]

Photo- Lennart Edvinson

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On Jul 3, 2026, at 10:33 AM, Rita Edris <rita...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Discus 44]

Paul was a good friend.  He took me up in his Nimbus for a flight once and we had a great time.  I learned a great deal about not turning for every thermal.  He more than reminded me about that several times during that flight.  We gained altitude by just going straight.  I was not familiar with this concept much since flying a Russia where every bit of lift was needed to stay up.  We only thermalled once at Grand Coulee airport back to 10 K.  It was a memorable flight.  Paul and I kept in touch after he moved to Arizona.  He told me about a ASW 28 he had owned and sold to a guy in Tennessee and it was for sale.  He said it was the best glider he had ever owned.  He encouraged me to buy it, so I did.  I knew he had his health issues, but he did not complain or dwell on that.  A positive outlook and pure love of the sport kept him engaged with soaring.  I last saw him at the R8 competition in 2022.  He will be missed.

Tom Udd

On Thursday, July 2, 2026 at 3:49:08 PM UTC-7 soarsn wrote:

[Jim Dobb]

Paul was a good pilot and a wonderful member of our community. His positive attitude was contagious. He will be missed! 

On Jul 4, 2026, at 08:02, Discus 44 <discu...@gmail.com> wrote:

Paul was a good friend.  He took me up in his Nimbus for a flight once and we had a great time.  I learned a great deal about not turning for every thermal.  He more than reminded me about that several times during that flight.  We gained altitude by just going straight.  I was not familiar with this concept much since flying a Russia where every bit of lift was needed to stay up.  We only thermalled once at Grand Coulee airport back to 10 K.  It was a memorable flight.  Paul and I kept in touch after he moved to Arizona.  He told me about a ASW 28 he had owned and sold to a guy in Tennessee and it was for sale.  He said it was the best glider he had ever owned.  He encouraged me to buy it, so I did.  I knew he had his health issues, but he did not complain or dwell on that.  A positive outlook and pure love of the sport kept him engaged with soaring.  I last saw him at the R8 competition in 2022.  He will be missed.

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