Having breakfast on a wing
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Fly-in draws pilots from near and far
by Jeff Snyder
MOUNT AYR, Iowa — The Friends of Judge Lewis Field Airport held a special “Fly In” breakfast last Saturday in Mount Ayr to draw more attention to the regional airport.
Nearly a dozen pilots and their planes flew in from around the area and beyond to help celebrate the most recent updates to the hangar facility and the surrounding grounds of the airport.
John Herren, who recently made a generous donation to the airport commission, flew all the way from St. Louis, Mo. to attend. Mike Warin, a pilot himself, was on hand to direct the proceedings along with fellow airport commission member Kelly Main.
The breakfast itself was an open invitation event that consisted of breakfast food staples including pancakes, sausage, eggs, home fries and all the trimmings. The events was well attended with more than 60 people working their way through the breakfast line. All proceeds from the $10 meal fee go towards ongoing repairs and maintenance to the airport facilities.
The star of the show was without doubt was the presence of a vintage North American PT-19 training plane provided by the Great Plains Wing of the Commemorative Air Force operating out of Council Bluffs. The PT-19 is one of 270 units that were built in the early 1940s during World War II for the then Army Air Corps to help train future pilots overseas for eventual real world combat missions.
Primary pilot Christopher Pineda flew the vintage plane in to Judge Lewis Field about an hour after daybreak. During his visit, Pineda offered 20 minute flying rides in the vintage aircraft to anyone willing to brave the open cockpit and cool weather. In all there were 10 planes from around the area, along with an unannounced visit from a commercial crop plane that was performing cover crop planting throughout the duration of the breakfast.
The airport commission has additional repairs to perform at the facility, namely an extensive redoing of the airport’s office facilities. Time and Mother Nature have conspired to destroy a portion of the interior space and the commission are gathering bids to for the needed repairs. Recent contributions have given the commission a head start on the funding needed to complete the repairs but additional funds will likely be needed to fully complete the job.
The pilots in attendance praised the airport and its facilities, especially its close proximity to things like hotel accommodations and food for pilots needing a layover on route to their final destination. The airport and the commission are hoping to plan future similar events to continue showcasing the airplane community as well as fellow Mount Ayr citizens the importance of maintaining a well cared for modern regional airport.
