Growing up in North Carolina, Gophers gymnast Jack Kramer was enamored of flying at an early age.
His grandfather and one of his uncles are licensed pilots with their own planes. Virtually every year at Christmas, he received a new remote control helicopter — which Kramer would fly until it inevitably broke down.
Childhood interests and hobbies sometimes fade. Other times, as is the case with Kramer, they instead become a way of life in multiple ways well into adulthood.
Does Kramer still like flying? Well, let's see. He is an aerospace engineering major at the U and is set to graduate this spring. He's a senior on the gymnastics team who specializes on the high bar. And he's a certified drone pilot with a burgeoning business that could help finance his ability to fly real airplanes someday.
So … yes. Kramer can articulate the passion in more detail:
"One reason I really enjoy gymnastics and drones is it's cool to simulate flight," he said. "When you fly a drone, it's like you're in an airplane to an extent because all you see is things passing by. I've always liked throw and release moves on the high bar because it feels like you're flying. There's a connection there."
Kramer realized he should turn his love of flying into an aerospace engineering major when, as a freshman, he planned to specialize in chemical engineering — only to find out that he hated chemistry.
That same year, he started flying more sophisticated remote-controlled helicopters, but he realized he needed more space as his dorm roommate became increasingly annoyed with in-room fly-bys.
