Among the lesser but nonetheless enduring losses of the September 11th tragedy is the freedom airplane aficionados once had to loiter outside airport perimeter fences and look on as aircraft came and went.
Today’s young people are largely without means to cozy-up to aircraft operations. The visceral thrills by which I was inspired aloft have been outlawed, and the business of selecting a career has been relegated to YouTube influencers and reality-television.
Enter an aviation entrepreneur, aircraft bounty-hunter, and reality-television star. Kevin Lacey was the protagonist in “Airplane Repo,” a poorly conceived and barely credible Discovery Channel series that ran from 2010 to 2015.
In the course of his comings and goings from Aero Country Airport (T31), Lacy noticed a number of kids hanging about, and they—perhaps recognizing him from his television exploits—noticed him. “So, for some reason, these youngsters decided I was one of those approachable kind of guys,” Lacy remarked, “and they started showing up at my private hangar.”
Not knowing what to do with a group of curious teenagers, he consulted friend and Lakeland (FL) Aero Club president Mike Zidziunas, who encouraged him to start a flying club. Ergo, in October, 2016, Lacy partnered with USAF Lieutenant Colonel Greg “Spanky” Barber and retired Delta Airlines Captain Ron Roland to found the Tango 31 Aero Clube.
By March, 2017, the endeavor was a bona fide, accredited, non-profit organization, ready and legally able to romance sponsors who stepped-up with generous donations and started the nascent undertaking on its way.
In the years since the organization’s inception, members of the T31 Aero Clube have earned FAA pilot, and Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic certification, as well as admittance into a number of prestigious, collegiate aviation programs. One Club(e) member has secured a pilot position with Piedmont Airlines.
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