Death halts flight school

FUNDING of $100,000 from the Collie Futures Fund will be retained by the state government following the death of Collie Flight School proponent, Michael Hebbard.

Mr Hebbard died in a plane crash in December last year, and was the key driver behind a private flight training school planned for the Collie airstrip.

Collie Shire Council resolved in February last year to support, in principle, the establishment of the flight training school, and accepted a request for a ground lease for the project in November.

A state government spokesperson said Mr Hebbard’s passing was tragic.

“The funding had not been released as the project had not been finalised at the time of Michael’s passing,” she said.

“The Collie Flight Training School was due to be awarded a small grant toward the establishment of a recreational flight training facility in Collie.

“The government was saddened to hear of Michael Hebbard’s tragic passing and offers its deepest sympathy to his family and the wider Collie community.”

Mr Hebbard had hoped to use the future fund grant to kick start a private flight training program and a new industry manufacturing electric aircraft.

It was also proposed to conduct aerial surveillance work.

Council was told that Collie was well located as a base from which to conduct fire and shark spotting, power and pipeline aerial inspections.

Activating the airstrip would bring economic and social benefits to Collie, Mr Hebbard told the council.

Mr Hebbard, the father of two, died in a light plane crash on the Nullarbor Plain near Caiguna. He was the only person on board the plane.

Mr Hebbard’s widow, Kristen, has family in Collie, and his funeral was on Monday of last week.