Mike Vaughan of Charleston was one of many who had their planes out at the event. Mike, who flies in acrobatic competitions, rebuilt his 1945 Piper Cub in 1994, adding a 100-horsepower engine in the process.

Aviation flying high in rural Illinois

Photos and story
by Jack Halstead

It was early Saturday morning, and the Joneses, who worked a small farm 20 miles outside of town, were getting ready to head into town to do the weekly grocery shopping and visiting. Bob and his wife, Mary, were decked out in their next-best finery. Their son Bobby was about as presentable as could be expected, and daughter Elizabeth was neat as a pin, scrubbed and beribboned. The scene was almost out of a Norman Rockwell painting.

But instead of piling into the family car, as they might in a Rockwell rendering, the Joneses climb into an airplane. Bob fires up, glances at the windsock, and heads out. "Mr. and Mrs. Rural America 1947" are off to town.

As they approach the airpark, nestled snugly at the edge of town, they see kids on swings, slides and teeter-totters. With no further ado, Bob lands, missing the local gas station and garage by 50 feet or so as he goes over. As the Joneses start to climb out of the plane for the stroll into town, Mary peeks at the mirror on her sun visor and touches up her lipstick.

During World War II, aviation boosters, already looking toward the future, predicted that such scenes would be commonplace after the war ended.

The skies, they said, would soon be full of small, inexpensive airplanes, which would enable farmer Jones to fly into town for his supplies. Fred, the clerk at the hardware store, could hop to his job from his home airstrip 30 miles out in the country.

Under the airpark concept, airports would be sited at the very edge of town, so a commuter could walk from where he parked his plane to his job or the place he needed to do business. Parks and observation decks would be provided, giving the airparks a form of multipurpose usefulness. There'd be picnic tables and play equipment for kids. Airplane watching would be a form of recreation.

But the widely expected postwar aviation boom busted before it ever got off the ground, and the aircraft industry, plagued by slow sales and a series of massive product liability suits, all but quit producing small airplanes in America. The ones that continued built planes that were so expensive only corporations could afford them.

Even so, there's still a fairly lively aviation presence in Illinois, and there are many downstate airports. Several are served by electric co-ops. And some have busy industrial parks on the field. Not surprisingly, such airports receive at least some economic development help from the local co-op.

After years of static or declining pilot numbers, aviation is starting to grow again, with the number of new pilots growing by about eight percent annually for the last couple of years. Those whose job it is to look into the future tell us that there may soon be a pilot shortage, as airlines beef up their staffs and add flights to their schedules.

Companies that haven't built

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planes in decades are updating old designs and getting ready to start work again. There seems to be some relief from product liability, and the industry is poised for at least moderate growth.

While it's pretty safe to assume that the wartime idea of "an airplane in every garage" is not going to happen in the near future, there is very real hope for at least an aviation boomlet.

The old idea of an airpark nestled snugly at the edge of town is not likely to be revived any time soon either. What looks more likely is that mid-sized towns, such as Mattoon and Charleston, will build an airport halfway between them and share the costs and benefits such facilities bring.

And the electric cooperative of Illinois hope to be there too, providing both electricity and economic development help.

Coles County Airport, between Mattoon and Charleston, is served by Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative. Manager Shannon Youakim notes that the airport authority saves big bucks by being on the co-op's interruptible rate. By running its generators during peak days, the airport gets a price break that helps a lot in budgeting.

But more importantly to aviation buffs, she says, the airport is home to Wings Weekend, an annual event designed to help keep aviation viable in Illinois. "Each year in early July, the Coles County Airport Authority, Federal Aviation Administration, and the Illinois Department of Transportation's Division of Aeronautics all get together to co-host the event," she says, "and volunteers from the Illinois Flying Farmers handle the registration. Members of the local airport community help out a lot, too."

Here's how the program works: When a pilot gets his or her pilot's license, the license is good for a lifetime, with reservations. One reservation is that a casual pilot must pass a physical examination every two years (Commercial pilots have to take them more often). Also, all pilots must have a "refresher" every two years. During that refresher, commonly known as a biennial flight review (or BFR or biennial), the pilot goes up with an instructor and performs a series of maneuvers to demonstrate he or she is still proficient. Biennials are often expensive, since instructors command $20 an hour or more and it's often necessary to rent a plane. And there's always the problem of finding the time.

That's where the Mattoon event comes in. Each year some 40-50 flight instructors donate their skills so pilots can take their biennial without having to pay an instructor. They still need to provide a plane.

Mark Nelson, director of the Mattoon Area Adult Education Center, showed up at Wings Weekend to renew his biennial, and brought his family for breakfast. From left are Miranda, Gail, Mark and Dakota.

The event is popular with people of all ages and from all walks of life. In fact, a young man there to renew his proficiency met the doctor who delivered him.

Eastern Illini Electric Cooperative member Ted Johnson was there, along with his wife, Lila. "I had to leave the family farm and fly for American Airlines for 40 years so I could afford to come back and work the old home place," he says, only half in jest. Ted is past president of Illinois Flying Farmers, and was "IFF Man of the Year" in 1994. Lila was queen of the organization in 1989. Ted is still an active pilot and flight instructor. While IFF staffs the registration table, the main reason Ted shows up at the event is to donate instructing time.

Robert H. "Bob" Primmer, chairman of Shelby Electric Cooperative's board and a longtime farmer, is a lapsed pilot. Since his Findlay home is fairly close to Mattoon, he made it a point to go with a farmer friend, John Durbin, who was brushing up on his flying skills.

Wings Weekend is open to anyone who is licensed and who has a current medical. Pilots whose ink has barely dried on their licenses rub shoulders with longtime pros who fly multi-engine planes of all kinds. Although he didn't make it this year, Jim Lovell, the astronaut, is a regular at the event. And he doesn't show up just to be seen. He still works on his proficiency, just as any other conscientious pilot would.

Others who take part include those who fly regularly as passengers and fear that they may have to land a plane in an emergency. All are welcome, and all can receive free instruction.

Since flying understandably involves a lot of rules and regulations,

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there are Seminars dealing with changes and updates, and they are a popular part of Wings Weekend.

Even so, it's questionable whether the event is so popular because it helps keep costs down, or because it provides such a wonderful opportunity for pilots, wannabe pilots and lapsed pilots to get together and bond on the way up.

Whatever the case, more than 300 people turned out July 10-12 for the eighth annual event, and Coles County Airport had more planes tied down on its aprons than it's had in many a moon. "I know there were at least 150 planes there," Shannon says, "because our entire apron was full and people were tying down out in the grass. There has to be an awful lot of planes here to make that necessary. And Dale Rust, the Division of Aeronautics' flight safety coordinator, reported that 250 pilots had received their Pilot Proficiency Award certificates and the set of wings that goes with them."

Those numbers are a boon to the area economy. Local motels fill up quickly, and Central Illinois Air Corp., the firm that serves the field, sells more aviation gas in a weekend than it may otherwise sell in weeks of waiting for planes to come in. And while the Charleston Lions Club serves food in the hangar that serves as headquarters for the event, the airport's restaurant does a good business, too.

"Wings Weekend is our biggest attraction," Shannon says, "but we also have other events here. Earlier this year we had a Luscombe fly-in, for owners of those popular little airplanes, and we have another group who brings in their Thorp T-18s for a weekend of flying and socializing. Thorps are a kind of homebuilt airplane, and we're glad to have them and their owner-builders.

"We also have a 'Wannabe Pilots' Weekend.' That's when the local airport community puts together a program to show interested people about aviation in general and flying in particular. A couple of parachute organizations also hold clinics here occasionally."

Of course, the airport is still home to the Civil Air Patrol's Flight Encampment, in which kids from several states come to practice their aviating skills in gliders, balloons and powered aircraft. It has hosted that event for 33 years now.

Mark Nelson, director of the Mattoon Area Adult Education Center, was at Wings Weekend to brush up his flying skills, and brought his wife Gail, their daughter Miranda, and son Dakota, for the Lions Club breakfast. While they were there, the kids got to watch aviation enthusiasts kick tires, slam doors, and generally express interest in a herd of airplanes ranging from the beautiful Mooneys to skydivers' workhorse Cessnas. And in the process, they may have gotten a feel for what makes aviation enthusiasts look skyward every time they hear an engine overhead.

Those interested in learning more about Wings Weekend can call Shannon at the Coles County Airport Authority, or contact her by mail. The address is 432 Airport Rd. Mattoon, IL 61938, and the phone number there is (217) 234-7120. Dale Rust, at IDOT's Division of Aeronautics, plays an important part in Wings Weekend's planning. His mailing address is IDOT. Div. of Aero., One Langhorne Bond Dr./Capital Airport, Springfield, IL 62707-8415. His phone number is (217) 524-5269. Jerry Cox is the man to talk to about Luscombe Weekend. His phone number is (217) 234-8720.

The Illinois chapter of the Flying Farmers organization is alive and well, notes president Ernest Thorp, who lives near Clinton. A B-l7 pilot in World War II, Thorp received his pilot's license before joining the military, and has been flying ever since.

As its name implies, the IFF is made up of pilots who own and/or fly airplanes, and membership is open to those who support that concept. "Not all our members are active pilots," Ernest says, "and they're not all farmers, either. But for the most part, they are." He adds that many members of the organization are retired farmers, who have small airstrips on their property.

The organization's literature spells out who its members are — "Flying Farmers are men, women, teens and tots, individuals and entire families. They are farmers, livestock specialists, commercial pilots. They are bank officers, secretaries, doctors, teachers, lawyers, construction managers and corporate executives. They are all unique, but there is one common thread that binds them tightly ... Flying Farmers simply love to fly."

The idea of an organization for Flying Farmers came about in 1944, as officials at Oklahoma A. and M. College, now Oklahoma State University at Stillwater, recognized the growing interest in airplanes among farmers.

It followed that an organization might be in order, and one was set up in August of that year, with 38 charter members. The first national convention was held at Stillwater in 1946, and farmers from 16 states turned out for the event. In all, 262 planes arrived for the festivities.

Farmers in other states decided to set up organizations of their own. Now, there are chapters in several states, Australia, Canada, and other countries.

IFF holds many events and continues to work at improving aviation in all parts of the world, especially in farming areas.

To learn more about IFF, contact Thorp at: Rte. 3, Box 252, Clinton, IL 61727. His phone number is (217) 935-5461. The address of IFF's national headquarters is P.O. Box 9124, Wichita, KS 67277. The phone number there is (316) 943-4234.
E-mail: http://cid.unomaha.edu/~unoai/iff/iffmain.html