The only thing that outnumbered people and aircraft Saturday morning at the Carmi airport were hoverflies after the sweet smell of pancake batter. About 20 aircraft, a handful of classic cars, and around six dozen individuals came out for a Flapjack Fly In at the Carmi Airport between 7:30am and 11am to kick off the weekend. The weather cooperated and made for scenic views for those who took to the skies.
This was the first fly in at the Carmi airport in nearly a decade. New airport manager Ron Immel has been busy getting the facility in good shape for use with more work planned.
We’ve upgraded the fuel system, a lot of cosmetic stuff more than anything. We just finished a remediation on the taxiway from previous events that we had to take care of; matter of fact, we just got signed off on from IDOT on that so we’re all clear on that. Upcoming projects, next year, we’re looking at upgrading the lighting on the runway, the RAILS, the approach system, both runways will be IFR certified for instrument landings, and a new beacon tower and it’s all grant funded.
While the airport itself wasn’t a platform that Mayor Bill Stendeback ran on, he says he identified pretty quickly the potential and the need to right some wrongs at the facility.
I said from the get-go this is a resource we’re not taking advantage of. Is it going to bring a lot of money into the community…no, but it’s going to bring people in if they can come here, have meetings; we have a flying club that hasn’t had a meeting in the building for two years…they’ve been locked out. They had their first meeting out here not long after I took office and they’re just overjoyed to be able to get back into this airport.
In addition to a few long term folks that fly in regularly and for extended stays, Martin & Bayley utilizes the airport regularly, and there are two helicopter spraying crews using fuel on a regular basis and while the city may not make “bank” on the airport, the money it does make can go back into the facilities for improvement.
We have a good price. We’re selling a lot of fuel. We’re not making a lot of money, but it’s money we can utilize here at the airport.
Now that things are going well, Stendeback and Immel say they look forward to hosting more events at the airport. One of the folks at the event was the White County Flying Club’s Certified Flying Instructor Jordan Knight who gave our reporter (and the mayor’s wife) a ride in a 1977 Piper Archer II featuring 180 horsepower. That plane is also used for training prospective new pilots. Learn more about the White County Flying Club on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054539046204.
