Family and friends say missing pilot Bob Bramley 'just loved flying'

Family and friends say missing pilot Bob Bramley 'just loved flying' In short: Family and friends of Tasmanian pilot Bob Bramley, missing after his plane crashed in remote Northern Territory, are remembering him for his passion and love of flying. Northern Territory search and rescue crews have located "aircraft debris", but the remote location and poor weather conditions have hampered the search effort. NT Police Assistant Commissioner Peter Malley said authorities believed the pilot died in the crash, but they had yet to locate a body. Bob Bramley is described by those who knew him as passionate, a go-getter, and courageous. There's been an outpouring of grief for the 23-year-old Tasmanian pilot and suicide prevention advocate following the news that he's believed to have died after his plane crashed off the coast of the Northern Territory. Police launched an investigation on Tuesday afternoon after the small charter plane operated by Air Frontier reportedly crashed in Angurugu waters, off the coast of Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria. NT Police Assistant Commissioner Peter Malley said authorities believed the pilot died in the crash, but they had yet to locate a body. "Our beloved Bob is gone", Mr Bramley's family said in a statement. "Bob was a beacon of hope for our family, friends and community. We cannot comprehend this great loss in our lives. We are shocked, we are heartbroken, but we remember the ideals Bob championed. "We celebrate a life lived to the fullest. There will never be another Bob Bramley." A trailblazing teenager At the age of 16, after almost losing two close friends in suicide attempts, Mr Bramley became an advocate for suicide prevention. Attempting to become the youngest person to circumnavigate Australia solo by plane, he raised awareness of youth suicide — a mission he coined 'Surviving Turbulence'. Mr Bramley's high school history teacher and mentor Lesley Jolly remembers the day the idea was born. "I'm sitting here thinking about the skinny kid with the big grin who came rushing into my class one day and said, 'Come to the back of the room'. "He showed me the map of Australia, and he said, 'I'm going to fly around Australia solo'. "I said, 'Oh cool, problem — you haven't got a pilot's licence', so that was grade nine," Ms Jolly said. In 2019, he completed his 15,000km, 40-stop unassisted journey around Australia, generating more than $20,000 for support organisation Beyond Blue through private donations and corporate sponsorships. Mr Bramley kept Ms Jolly in the loop throughout the journey. "He phoned me from Western Australia; he was so excited because he was going really, really fast, and he said, 'Oh, you should see it; I've got the ocean on one side and the land on the other, and I can see my shadow flashing across the land.' "There was just such joy in his voice about what he was doing. "That was the whole thing that flying gave him was joy." Mr Bramley did not become the youngest person to circumnavigate the country, with a youthful pilot from Queensland beating him to the record. Devonport Aero Club president Terry Travers said this proved an important lesson for the young Tasmanian, who then turned more of his attention towards spreading his mental health message. "The important thing is the records fall, fame is fleeting, but the difference you make in someone's life will last their lifetime," Mr Travers said. "The thing that he would give to people was that they could achieve things and I think that message went through to young people." The aero club president said his resounding memory of Mr Bramley was his unrivalled passion for being a pilot. "His name resonates — if you are talking about Bob Bramley, the enthusiasm for flying is just synonymous with it,"Mr Travers said. In 2021, Mr Bramley was nominated for Young Australian of the Year. A successful Scout That same year, an episode on his mission aired on ABC Program Australian Story. leader Bob Bramley developed the first aviation training program for Scouts in Tasmania and was appointed the youngest-ever Tasmanian State Coordinator for Scout Air Activities. Deputy chief commissioner for Scouts Tasmania Murat Djakic said Mr Bramley "gave more to Scouting than Scouting gave to him." "We're all devastated; it's going to be something that will definitely be missed," Mr Djakic said. In their statement, Mr Bramley's family said for the past year, Bob had been flying for a charter company in the Northern Territory. "I can remember when he phoned me to tell me he got the job with the company in the Northern Territory; he was just so excited about that. "He just loved flying," she said.