Summer brings out the airport's best
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| The last Saturday of each summer month is special at the Boundary County Airport, as people fly, drive, bike, run, walk and crawl in for their famous all-you-can-eat huckleberry pancake breakfast. |
By Ashley Glaza
It’s June already and summer is only moments away.
Grass runways throughout our beautiful state, like Cavanaugh Bay on Priest Lake, are opening up for a summer of endless adventures for pilots. It’s also the season when airports all over the country are hosting airshows, fly-ins, camp-outs, and pancake breakfasts.
The local EAA chapter hosts a delicious huckleberry pancake breakfast on the last Saturday of each month from May through September.
Don’t forget to bring the kids to the airport July 7 for the Young Eagles flight for kids. Local pilots and EAA members volunteer their time and airplanes to give free rides to kids for a day. Call the airport for more details or visit www.757.eaachapter.org.
On May 26 the local EAA chapter put on a huckleberry pancake breakfast at the Boundary County Airport like no other, with a record turnout of 243 hungry, happy people!
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| An extremely rare 1929 MonoCoach flew into the local airport from Creston at the end of May. |
Five members of the Ninety-Nines were present at the breakfast, including KK Prussian and Terri Watson of Coeur D’Alene, Annie Orton of Sandpoint, and Carla Dedera and I, both of Bonners Ferry.
Also featured at the breakfast was a history of the Boundary County Airport, including several vintage aircraft. Two of the aircraft on display were restored and presented by Charlie Brown of Sandpoint.
They included a 1928 Stearman Biplane and a 1930 Fairchild 24. Charlie Brown also displayed a 1917 Curtiss aircraft engine. The third aircraft was a 1951 L-19 Bird Dog owned by Lionel Gartner of Creston, B.C.
Thanks to the EAA club members for putting together the posters, to everyone who volunteered, and to those who came out to enjoy a delicious breakfast in support of the local airport and general aviation.
A fourth aircraft that did not make it in time for the Smithsonian exhibit arrived a few days later. Of the 22 airplanes built and certified by the Mono Aircraft Company, this was the only airworthy one of its kind left in the world.
The 1929 MonoCoach, N11872, landed at the Boundary County Airport on the morning of May 30. William Piper of Creston, B.C. spent nine years restoring it to nearly mint condition with leather seats, Mohair interior, and red oak trim.
Wayne Sommers of Bonners Ferry and a pilot for Northern Air is the only qualified pilot to fly the MonoCoach. He flew tfrom Creston, cleared customs at Port Hill, and then, after a low fly-by, landed at the Boundary County Airport where the plane will remain indefinitely.
Howard Hughes, the famous aviator, as well as Sunny Jim Rolph, former Governor of California, both flew in this Monocoach airplane between 1931 and 1935.
Because of its similarities, this plane is often referred to as the Sister Ship to the Spirit of Saint Louis which is on display at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC. The Spirit was the aircraft flown by Charles Lindbergh on his solo, non-stop flight from New York to Paris in 1927.
More information on this unique piece of history can be found online by searching “1929 MonoCoach."
The Boundary County Airport was recently recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration for the professionalism, commitment and outstanding efforts of its staff to improve the airport and the community of Boundary County.
The Airport Board and County Commissioners have worked tirelessly to improve the airport through the acquisition of federal grants and hours of manual labor. With improvements such as an automated weather observation system, instrument approach, runway improvements, and airspace protection, the airport is capable of hosting a variety of larger aircraft.
Recently the Boundary County Airport hosted two twin turbo-prop King-Airs bringing in businessmen for various meetings and appointments in town. We are expecting Anheuser-Bush to land their jet here several times this month for various visits to the hops farms north of town.
Most interesting was a twin Aero-Commander that flew in with music historian Garry Eller and the Chicken Dinner Road, a blue-grass band that played at the Pearl Theatre last month as a part of the Smithsonian Exhibit.
Numerous light aircraft fly to Boundary County every day for business meetings, visiting friends or family, to enjoy the beauty of the scenery, or to have a meal in town at one of the local restaurants. Pilots and passengers from business executives to vacationers comment on the high quality of the airport facilities and the friendliness of this community.
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| Nick Peck and his wife, Janelle. |
Northern Air is proud to announce that private-pilot student Nick Peck of Bayview, Idaho, took his first solo flight on May 31. His wife, Janelle, got to celebrate with him when his feet were back on the ground - though his head was still high in the sky!
Nick has been dreaming of flying for the past 30 years since taking a flight in an open cockpit Stearman biplane at Silverwood. He knew he had to learn to fly after his wife bought him a scenic flight in October and then an introductory flight with Northern Air for Christmas.
He is dreaming of building his own plane someday and is looking forward to taking his father for his first flight as a new pilot!
Remember Father’s Day is June 17, and it’s a perfect time to give the man in your life an Introductory Flight Lesson or a Scenic Flight.
Northern Air has gift certificates available, so stop by or give us a call at (208) 267-4359.
For more information about the services provided by Northern Air you can visit our website at northernair.biz.
We also serve ice cream, so stop in if you need to cool down on your way by!