Fly It Like You Stole It

You may recognize Kevin Lacey from the popular television series “Airplane Repo.” He’s moved on from TV stardom and is now a published author.

His new book, “Fly It Like You Stole It: The Early Years,” describes his journey from a teen yearning to build and fly airplanes to the beginning of his work repossessing aircraft.

Told in his signature Texas style, each chapter sounds like a story shared around a campfire. His voice rings clear with a tone of friendly familiarity as he relates successes and setbacks as a young mechanic and pilot.

For example, in Chapter 5, “Learning to Fly the Taylorcraft,” Kevin borrows a propeller from a friend’s Luscombe and mounts it on a wingless Taylorcraft to test the Taylorcraft’s Continental A-65 engine. After he hand-propped the propeller, the Taylorcraft “jumped the chocks and took off across the ramp, barely missing me as I dove out of the way of that meat cleaver.”

He chased the plane and used the tail to steer it off the ramp into the grass. Later he taxied the wingless aircraft around just for fun.

At the 2023 SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo, Kevin gave a presentation at the Florida Air Museum and signed books.

“I had to take out chapters,” he noted, “otherwise, this book would have been 600 pages. I had enough left over that the second book is almost done.”

At one book signing, a man approached the table, picked up a book, and thumbed through it.

Kevin glanced at Savanna “Thunder” Hunter, a young pilot from the teen flying club he directs. After staging the books and tabletop banners, Savanna handled the money from book sales.

Looking back at the man, Kevin slouched in his chair and said, “You sure you can read? I mean, it has a few pictures in it…”

The man laughed.

As an author who’s been to many book signings over the years, that was the first time I’d witnessed an author insult someone to make a sale.

Later, when other members of his flying club arrived at the signing, Kevin introduced them to a woman standing in line: “These here are all my kids. And they all have different mothers.”

Again, he sold a book.

At his talk in the Florida Air Museum, he introduced six teens from the Tango Thirty One Aero Clube who had flown to the show from their home base in McKinney, Texas. He proudly announced the planes they were working on and others they had restored and flown. He introduced them by their names and call signs.

Because everyone in the club has a call sign, the kids gave Kevin one: Tombstone.

“I’m not sure if they call me that because I’m old or because I remind them of somebody from that cowboy movie,” he said. “I’m afraid to ask.”

Kevin does share the looks and Texas drawl with Tombstone actor Sam Elliot. He also exudes a quiet confidence that speaks volumes.

I give “Fly It Like You Stole It: The Early Years” a thumbs up for sheer entertainment value. It offers an unblinking, plain-spoken perspective on the life and struggles of someone who loves aviation.

The book is available wherever books are sold. On Amazon, the hardcover book sells for $26.95, while the paperback is $18.95.