Jess started taking flying lessons and wanted to buy his own place. When he started talking about it, Jack Holder, a bowling friend from Rigby, wanted to buy one too. He couldn’t afford to buy one alone so he suggested that the two of them share one. They went shopping and finally in Las Vegas they found just the plane they wanted. When it came time to sign the papers for it, Jess told the salesman he would just write a check for it. It cost $33,000.00. The salesman was dubious and said we couldn’t take the plane, until the check was verified. Jess suggested he could phone the bank in Rexburg and they would OK. the check. When the salesman phoned, Warren Widdison talked to him. Warren told him that he didn’t care what the amount of the check, was it would be good. I wish you could have seen the look of astonishment on the faces of Jack and the salesman. Jack assured Jess that as soon as we were home he would pay his share of the cost.
We had to get the car back home and it was decided that Jess would drive to Nephi, Utah and Jack, Evie and I would go in the airplane. It sounded good but when we landed at Nephi, it was an unimproved airport and we had no way to get to town. We figured if Jess drove 60 miles an hour he would not be in Nephi for two more hours. Jack hailed a man down and asked him to take us into Nephi. As we sat in the café leisurely eating, we saw Jess drive by. He must have broken all speed records to get there that fast. Jess went right to the airport and we didn’t have any way to get back to the airport. Jack stood and asked if anyone in the café, would take us to the airport. A man volunteered and was Jess surprised to see us. He was wondering how he was going to find us. Evie and I drove the car back to Idaho.
We took some interesting trips with Jack and Evie. If you want to fly you have to have extra time to do it. It seemed every time we went somewhere the weather would change and we would have to stay for a few extra days. We flew to Portland, Oregon to get some new radio equipment. Jess wanted the finest in case he ever had trouble, he knew he would not be able to walk out. It took two extra days to install. The second day it started to rain and freeze and we were stuck for two more days.
It seemed every time Jack took the plane he had trouble. Once out around Salmon, he became frightened of the weather and the mountains and landed the plane in a pasture. Finally after flying the plane for a year, Jack decided they couldn’t afford to pay, for their half of the plane. He never offered to pay for the use of the plane, for a year. Jess was secretly relieved. He could afford it and wanted it to be his. He loved his Beechcraft Debonair and I was grateful Jess had his dream realized. I honestly believe that his happiest hours were the hours he spent flying. The doctors were amazed that Jess never had trouble breathing, when he was in his airplane. The reason we started the chicken business, many years before, was so Jess could learn to fly.
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