Laz Horvath has flown West

[mrop...@gmail.com]

I just saw an Arizona Soaring Facebook post announcing that Laz Horvath passed away 3 days ago. I instructed and gave rides for him on weekends while I was in AZ at USAF pilot training during 1973-1974. Blue Skies and tailwinds, Laz. RIP my friend.

Mike Opitz

RO

[Mark Palmer]

I saw that too. I flew with Stephan and Laz at Estrella for a while in the early 70s. Fair winds old friend.

Mark Palmer

[BG]

On Sunday, November 14, 2021 at 5:53:21 AM UTC-8, mfp...@gmail.com wrote:
> I saw that too. I flew with Stephan and Laz at Estrella for a while in the early 70s. Fair winds old friend.
>
> Mark Palmer

Sorry to hear about this. One of the biggest pains in growing older is seeing people around pass away. RIP Les...

I flew with Les early in my career ( early 80's) in a Grob 103 out of El Tiro. We did amazing aerobatics and even flew the pattern inverted until rolling over for final. Les made a huge positive impact on Soaring we all have benefitted from. Was always hosting events a training out of Estrella. Back in the day at the "Hitachi", we all drank Saki from wood cups from a big ceramic barrel after the wooden top was mashed with a big ceremonial hammer. A different time and place compared to today.

Buzz Graves

[Janine Acee]

Posting for my father...pre-Estrella days...RIP Les...

Laszlo Horvath passed yesterday after a long bout with heart and cancer related problems. Les, his brother and two other Hungarians escaped Hungary during the 1956 revolution. He arrived in Canada and proceeded to Buffalo where he worked as a custodian in a hospital. He met his wife Betty who he eventually married. Les was an engineer and soon applied for a job in the Utica area with a company called Mohawk Data Sciences. I met Les when he joined the Iroquois Soaring Association located in Cooperstown, NY. He purchased and flew a Blanik, which I later purchased from him when he decided to resign from his job and move to Tempe. AZ whereupon he leased a parcel of land near Maricopa, AZ and developed the Estrella Gliderport. He and his wife. Betty ran the operation for many years. Les was not only an excellent instructor but also a premier competition pilot in both the cross country and aerobatic arenas. He competed both here and abroad and promoted soaring throughout his life. I crewed for Les in one of the last Hitachi invitationals held in Minden, NV. Les was the epitome of the American dream and deserves a special place in the soaring community.
Moe Acee

[allm...@gmail.com]

This took me by surprise. I learned how to fly at Estrella at 14 years old, soloing on my 15th birthday, from 1985-86. I had a lot of trouble with aerotow in the beginning, and one ride with Les in a 2-33 set me right. I still remember his guidance--he asked if the trim was set, and I said yes, and he then said to let go of the stick. The erratic bobbling around behind the tow plane immediately stopped! In one flight he gave me a life-long lesson in finesse, doing only what is needed and nothing more. Solved my aerotow challenges. His obvious mastery of all things flying taught me so much in a short amount of time, and greatly helped my life-long love of soaring.

Fair winds and following seas, sir.

Mark Rose
Tucson AZ

[Sarah]

Like many others, I last saw Les long ago (mid 1980's). His mastery over aerobatic flight was obvious even to me - and his character made a lasting impression on me. A true gentleman. Fair Skies and tailwinds

Sarah Anderson

[gkemp]

Les was a great guy, knew him from flying many contests at Estrella. On one contest day from Estrella to Superior to Lake Pleasant ( a tough day) I passed over him on the ground and he was cheering me on, "Go Gary, go!, he was that kind of guy, he will be missed.

garykemp NK