EAA Sport Aviation - January 2010

even want to go to the hangar. Eventually he
found some peace and would go visit his old
friend. But there was strain: talkin’ to it wasn’t
the same as flyin’ it.

Now the plot thickens. Jack had soloed his son, Mike, in a J- 3 some 25 years before. But Mike had been busy doing other things, like making a living and raising a family, but his interest in aviation remained. Mike and his wife, Susie, have two children, daughter Lauren and son Zack. Lauren met Jerome while attending Auburn, where Jerome, an up-and-coming young pilot, was enrolled in the aviation program. ;ey became a couple. Jerome jumped through all the aviation hoops and was hired by a regional airline. And then, he was furloughed. To his credit, he’s still chasing the dream. Among other things, he got his tailwheel endorsement.

Jack learned that Mike Seager, known to
some as the “dean” of RV instructors, was com-
ing to Jack’s hometown. Jack called his son Mike
Jack sent me an e-mail that evening: “Wanted
you to be one of the first to know that Jerome
had the Four up for a half-hour today, and there
is peculiar distortion to his countenance.”
Jack’s RV- 4, N918RB, is going to Mike. He
and Lauren and Jerome can work out the flying.
Details aside, Jack’s airplane, and Jack’s passion,
will stay in the family.

Lauran Paine Jr. is a retired military and airline pilot. He built and flies an RV- 8 and has owned a Stearman and a Champ.

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Then it happened. Jack discovered
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ride, and done deal! His heart now

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had a place for his hands to go.

to ask if he’d like to come from his home in Georgia to Jack’s home in Cicero, New York, for some RV dual instruction from Mr. Seager. Jack asked Jerome to come, too. ;ey both agreed, so Jack got his good friend and mechanic, Bernie, to help him look over the airplane. After a thorough going-over, Bernie signed o; the annual.

When Mike and Jerome arrived, they took some RV dual from Mike Seager. ;en Jerome climbed into the RV- 4, and Jack familiarized him with the cockpit. Jerome started the airplane, spent about 10 minutes taxiing about, and… then…took o;. Now to get it back on the ground. Jack said, “I wasn’t worried. Jerome’s very thorough, very professional. He’s just a fine young man.” He was right; Jerome flew for about 30 minutes and then made a fine landing.

Before they left the hangar that day, Jack walked over to his airplane and said to Jerome, “Put your hand on the cowling. It’s warm again!” Jerome didn’t have to put his hand on the cowling. It was Jack’s heart that was warm.