There had been plenty of reasons for 'John-John' to feel upbeat on the Friday night. Cousin Rory was getting married. There had been a break in the series of meetings about the precarious future of his magazine George, and a cautious nod of reassurance from the publisher after weeks of bad news.
Most important, the plaster cast was off the ankle John F. Kennedy Jr had broken in a paragliding accident and he was about to make his first solo flight since its removal. He had decided to discard his co-pilot. Flying alone was the best escape for a man who is recognised on every street corner. The sky was freedom, off-camera, solitude, a refuge.
