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Service Recalls Pilot's Lifelong Love Of Flight

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By LAURA KINSLER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 16, 2009

Updated: 03/16/2009 06:51 pm

ZEPHYRHILLS - The church organist sang "On Eagle's Wings" as Paul Lee Lopez's family filed into St. Joseph Catholic Church on Monday to mourn the Zephyrhills pilot who was killed March 9 when his plane crashed in a nearby orange grove.

It was the first of several references to Lopez's lifelong love of flight. Lopez, 40, was a nationally known aerobatics pilot who competed at the sport's highest level.

Lopez was born and raised in Southern California. He fell in love with aviation, and as a teenager he took a job at Van Nuys airport washing airplanes in exchange for flying lessons.

Father George Rozycki told the congregation that each person has his own image of heaven. For Lopez, heaven could be soaring through the sky in his favorite plane.

"I would imagine his image of heaven, and I don't know much about airplanes, and I don't know much about what's the best stunt plane in the world," Rozycki said. "But I would imagine his image of heaven was flying up there and doing loops and just enjoying what God has given. I believe he's in that wonderful place now."

The pastor also paid tribute to Lopez's young passenger, 17-year-old Richie Seufzer, who also died in the crash.

"Talking to Richie's father, he shared with me how Paul reached out to his son with love, with example and with teaching," Rozycki said. "In his way, he was a light to Richard."

Lopez's sister, Debra Redmond, acknowledged the pilots and members of the aviation community who attended Monday's service.

"Thank you fore being a part of Paul's life," she said. "None of this has made sense to me personally. I haven't been able to rationalize it until last night. I realized God has a different plan for Paul. God wanted someone with his love of life to take the angels to a new level of flying."

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash. A preliminary report found that the plane, "was substantially damaged following an in-flight loss of control and impact with trees and terrain."

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 779-4617.

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