Bayer to be buried with top honors

one of the many aircraft he flew. Bayer, who was killed in a helicopter crash during a rescue exercise, graduated from carson high School in 1986. -- U.S. Navy photo.

A Carson City Navy jet pilot killed in a helicopter crash last week will be buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery on May 16.

Services for Lt. Cmdr. Arthur Jason Bayer, 34, will be 1 p.m. today at Bethlehem Lutheran Church.

Bayer died March 28 in a helicopter crash near Lake Isabella, Calif., during a search and rescue exercise.

"Jason was a dynamic man, full of life and love for God, his family, friends and country. He was a devoted husband and father, and touched the lives of every person he came in contact with," Bayer's wife Anne said. "His absence in our lives is poignantly felt."

Jason was born at St. Mary's Hospital in Reno to prominent Carson attorney Arthur Bayer and Merry Ann Bayer. His mother, a teacher at Carson High School, died in 1999

Paula Saveneli-Schulte, a Chicago teacher and a Carson High classmate of Bayer's, said he was a remarkable person.

"Jason was actually closer to some of my friends than to me," she said in an e-mail to the Nevada Appeal. "I was more of a good acquaintance. Everyone liked Jason. He was extremely intelligent and very funny. He also excelled in athletics."

Bayer participated in Boys' State for a week at Fallon Naval Air Station. He played varsity football. Bayer was a member of the Carson High School Zebra Hunters, who supported the girls volleyball team in their 11-5 season. He graduated in 1986.

He received the dean's scholarship to University of Southern California, where he graduated cum laude in 1990.

He joined the Navy after graduating from college and was an honor graduate at aviation officer candidate school in 1990. He attended primary flight training in 1991 and graduated top of his class. In 1992, he again graduated top of his class of 19 pilots from intermediate jet flight training.

He was awarded VT22 Eagle "Top Hook" Award in 1992-93.

In 1994, Bayer served in Atsugi, Japan, and was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 195, the Dam Busters, as a junior officer. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1995. He transferred to Naval Air Station Cecil Field, Fla., where he served as a flight instructor for Strike Fighter Squadron 106, the Gladiators, from 1998-99.

He was accepted into Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Md., in 1999 and stationed at Naval Weapons Test Squadron China Lake in Ridgecrest, Calif., as a test pilot from 2000-2002.

Bayer was enrolled in the master's program at the University of Tennessee Space Institute.

He was a member and vestryman at St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Ridgecrest, Calif. As a pilot he was a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and the Association of Naval Aviation.

Bayer and his wife, Anne, sponsored two children living in South America and Central America through Compassion International.