Friends say plane crash victim had adventurous spirit

Ryan Chute is being remembered as a loving, caring father, husband, son and a "fantastic friend." Chute, 28, died Monday when the ultralight aircraft he was taking flying lessons in with instructor Vern Rees crashed in a wheat field about five kilometres southeast of the Corman Park Airstrip, near Saskatoon. "It was his first lesson," said Bartt Chute, Ryan's father. Bartt was at the Corman Park Airstrip waiting for his lesson from instructor Rees, owner of the air park. Rees was also killed in the accident. "I felt it was safe for him to take the lessons," said Bartt. "I had quite a few lessons and I know that (Rees) follows all the safety standards. It was less dangerous than going snowmobiling in the mountains, which Ryan liked to do." Bartt said he was the first to raise the alarm when the two men did not return to the airport at their scheduled time. "I just thought they had a small problem with the engine and probably had to land in a field somewhere," said Bartt. "(Rees) has shown me how to land in a field in case of an emergency. It is quite easy flying in one of those planes." Bartt said he never expected to hear that his son had died in a crash. "I was in shock. I just couldn't understand," said Bart. "I lost a son and a friend." Ryan's friends, Scott Durrant and Ryan Hennenfent can not believe he is gone. "I'm really going to miss him," said Durrant. "The thing I'll remember most is the friendship, the fun stuff. All the things I liked doing was with him and our other friends." Hennenfent said Ryan was a leader. "He had a way about him, he would convince you to do anything," said Hennenfent. "He was my brother. we talked three times a day. we were always in contact with each other." Hennenfent said Ryan thought of life as an adventure and wasn't one to live a cautious, quiet lifestyle. "He didn't live his life in a box. He was always doing something," said Hennenfent. Durrant said they had a couple of encounters with avalanches in the Rockies and just recently went on a biking trip through the back roads in British Columbia. Despite the snowmobiling trips to the mountains and the dual-sport motorcycle adventure trips, Durrant said Ryan loved his family most. "Anything his family needed or wanted to do, he always made sure it happened. He did more than he had to do." Hennenfent said his thoughts are with Ryan's wife, Marcie, and his two sons, Rhett, 4, and five-month-old Rogan. "Those boys had a fantastic father. The two of them are mini-mes of Ryan," said Hennenfent. Bartt said Ryan's wife Marcie was holding up reasonably well. "She has a lot of family around her. We are a very close family," said Bartt. "Our faith in God has given us strength." Ryan was also passionate about farming. "He was a great farmer. He was always just a phone call away for advice. He learned a lot from his dad," said Durrant. Besides family and farming, Durrant said his friend also loved sports, especially hunting, going to Warriors games and doing things on Buffalo Pound Lake. Chute is survived by his wife Marcie, sons Rhett and Rogan, parents Bartt and Maria, two sisters as well as grandparents, aunts, uncles cousin and friends. Funeral service for Chute will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Hildebrand Chapel of Briercrest Bible College in Caronport. See full obituary on Page B9 today. Colin Dewar can be reached at 691-1263.