The Heart of Illinois Ultralights lost one of its lifelong members with the passing of Thomas Kingsley to prostate cancer.

Tom’s love of flight was equal to his love of life and compassion. His outgoing personality and open heart made him known

 to many an ultralight pilot.

Tom and his long time friend Fred Mathews built and flew 2 Challengers, the first a single seat (Pure Joy) and later a

2 seat (Pure Joy 2). They were some of the first members of the originating club that became the HOIU.

When Tom and Fred decided to let go of the 2 seat Challenger, they donated it to the club so that club member and

EAA BFI Jamie Kee could instruct and certify local pilots.

When Tom and Fred decided to sell their single seat, they sold it to me, but only until I passed muster and on the

condition I receive the proper training and certification.

I received that training in their 2 seat Challenger from Jamie Kee.

Any question I ever had about the plane Tom was there to answer. Tom and Fred would drop by to watch my progress

and pay respects to their old friend “Pure Joy”.

When I would look at Tom’s eyes as he looked on “Pure Joy” I could feel the pride he had in seeing she endured time.

She endured time because he and Fred put so much into her when they built her back in 1989.

Some legacies are very important to a man, to a man of flight an aircraft they had built is that.

You could sense his joy as he flew her like a dance between mentor and protégé.

His conscientiousness brought safety to the forefront in her construction.

There was always such a smile on his face when he would get out.

You could tell he was a pilot, a lover of flight, one whose soul found freedom in altitude, the sound and feel of the plane and

communion of inner spirituality.