7/16/1999 page 3

 7/16/1999 page 3 by ric gustafson

One afternoon, JFK Jr was eating lunch at the Stanhope Hotel Cafe M. Joining JFK Jr was his wife Carolyn and her sister Lauren. On a lunch of sea bass and salmon, the trio talked about an upcoming Kennedy wedding at Hyannis Port. This was the wedding of one of JFK Jr's cousins. His name was Rory Kennedy. JFK Jr spent the lunch telling the Bessete sisters about a new plane he had acquired. It was a Piper Saratoga. He was trying his hardest to convince the sisters to fly with him the following weekend. His goal was to fly to Cape Cod, then Martha's Vineyard and then to Hyannis Port. 

Carolyn was scared. She did not want her husband to fly period. She had good reason to be scared. The family had a terrible history with flying. JFK JR's Uncle Joseph P Kennedy died in WW2 when his bomber exploded. JFK Jr's Aunt Kathleen Kennedy Hartington died in a plane crash. So Carolyn was scared. Carolyn pleaded with JFK Jr not to fly. It was to no avail.

To JFK Jr, flying was an escape. He liked to live on the edge.

research help: ' The Day John Died' by Christopher Andersen

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric