Eventually he and Nancy moved back to Lexington. By then, When he eventually retired from UK in 1999, Zachem thought Zachem was a senior captain. He would hop on a plane at Blue he was finally leaving aviation behind. But several months later an Grass Airport in the morning and ride a jump seat to St. Louis, acquaintance who owns Photo Science, a Lexington aerial photogMo., where he would board a 767 and get ready raphy and survey company, asked Zachem to for takeoff. This year Jon Zachem receives consider flying temporarily. Eight years later, In 1989, UK came calling and Zachem took a Zachem’s still flying for him. “I just kept the Wright Brothers Master position to lead the newly-expanded UK Felgoing,” he says, and laughs. “I’m part-timing it Pilot Award from the Federal now. It was just a real blessing because I had lows program but he wasn’t ready to hang up Aviation Administration for his pilot’s wings just yet. started to miss flying.” 50 years of consecutive, At the time, many alumni clubs around the Zachem has also been involved with the area would ask that the UK president, athletic Kentucky Aviation Museum in Lexington as a accident-free commercial director and coaches come out and speak at flying. The award is slated to member of its advisory board, providing enmeetings. While it wasn’t part of his official job be presented at the Kentucky couragement and support. He served eight description, Zachem was happy to help fly them years on the Blue Grass Airport board and the Aviation Association’s August to meetings — or anywhere else with an airfield Lexington Chamber of Commerce board (now 2009 conference in and an alumni club. Commerce Lexington). He presently serves on Bowling Green. “Once they were exposed to flying they never the Kentucky Airport Zoning Commission in wanted to drive again,” Zachem says. “We took Frankfort and the Kentucky Aviation AssociaKyle Macy up to Columbus, Ohio, once and he just thought it was tion board. great. He was used to getting in the car and driving two or three His daughter, Elizabeth Woodward, has two UK degrees and hours one way.” lives in Lexington with her husband and young children. e For Zachem’s day job in the UK Office of Development, moonwhole family is oen at UK sporting events cheering on the Big lighting as a pilot fit hand-in-glove. While his passengers were Blue. His son Mark lives in Massachusetts with one daughter. And speaking to the alumni clubs, he’d meet with existing or potential Zachem has added one more UK connection to his résumé: he’s a donors. UK Alumni Association Director Stan Key still rememmember of the Class of 1959 Reunion Committee, finalizing the bers Zachem’s generosity with his time. “Jon was very helpful to festivities for the Oct. 30 affair, in conjunction with Homecoming the association in past years in arranging flights and taking the weekend. university president and coaches out to meet with alumni clubs,” “is year is a big 50 year thing for me — when I soloed, when Key says. “ese university speaker appearances with the clubs my class graduated from UK and when I met my wife,” he says. would not have been possible without Jon’s services.” “I’m right back where I started in a way, flying little single-engine An off-duty sideline for Zachem was volunteering to fly for planes out of Blue Grass. I’ve flown a perfect 360.” Angel Flight, a charity that provides free, nonemergency flights to Watch Jon Zachem as he visits the Kentucky critically-ill patients who cannot afford transportation to medical Aviation Museum. Go to www.ukalumni.net, treatment facilities. keyword: Zachem
Second Lt. Jon Zachem , center, stands proud as his fiancée Nancy Ladd and UK President Frank Dickey pin on his new bars during a ROTC ceremony.
www.ukalumni.net
23