Greenville Pilots Association Hosts Annual Fly-In, Offers Ride Opportunities and Skydiving Thrills - Extended Coverage

By Carmelo Turdo

The annual Greenville, IL Municipal Airport Fly-In, sponsored by the Greenville Pilots Association, EAA Chapter 1382 and the airport, was held Saturday, August 16. The event presented a great reason to fly to Greenville for pancakes and sausage and an opportunity for the local community to get acquainted with general aviation. Visitors could purchase a ride in the iconic Huey helicopter, a discovery flight in a Cessna 172 or a tandem parachute jump with the Gateway Skydiving Center.

The Aero Experience was back in Greenville to enjoy the day with our Midwest Aviation community. We begin our coverage with a look inside the main hangar where guests enjoyed the traditional pancake breakfast.

 

Aircraft based at Greenville, including two agricultural types and a helicopter from Air Evac LifeTeam 137, were joined by a variety of others flown in from neighboring airports. We captured a 1920s-era Pietnpol Air Camper, a HondaJet, and everything in between. Here we include a survey of the fly-in traffic, including visits from our friends - Mark Schuler in his Nanchang CJ-6 warbird and Dave Adams in his LongEZ, which he races as number 83.

Discovery flights were given by the Greenville Pilots Association in their Cessna 172. These local flights introduce general aviation to prospective student pilots, often becoming the experience that turns inspiration into practical training. For a totally different experience, the Creve Coeur Airport-based Gateway Chapter of the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation (AAHF) provided ride opportunities in their Vietnam-era Huey helicopter. The AAHF, also known as the Sky Soldiers on the airshow circuit, carry on the mission of preserving the legacy of Army Aviation, supporting veterans and inspiring the next generation of American patriots. Here we show a discovery flight departure, AAHF passenger briefing and first Huey flight of the day.

Gateway Skydiving Center, based at Greenville Airport, provides tandem skydives and training courses with internationally recognized instructors. Here we feature two tandem jumpers, Jennifer and Alan, with aerial photos provided by Gateway Skydiving Center. For more details about Gateway Skydiving Center, visit their website linked above and see our story from a previous year's event coverage: Passion for Parachutes: Gateway Skydiving Center Brings Two Generations of Excellence to the Midwest. 

The Aero Experience thanks the Greenville Municipal Airport community for providing this great Midwest Aviation event! We also thank those who flew in and the organizations providing life-changing flight experiences.