Two Local Fly-Ins Attract Southwest Illinois Aviation Community

By Mark Nankivil

The Flying Dutchman Pancake Breakfast held on Saturday was an annual rite of Spring and always worth attending.  Pancakes and sausage, with and added egg, juice and coffee make breakfast a good deal and supporting the airfield is worth it!  The weather was great, and the ultralights, homebuilts and a helicopter that dropped in for breakfast added some action and variety to the morning.  Start thinking about the Fall Chili Cookoff, and come out to Flying Dutchman for an enjoyable day at a neat small airport nestled between farmland and the south side of the city of Belleville.

Here are some views of Saturday's Flying Dutchman Pancake Breakfast Fly-In:

 

There's a "new" airfield located 4 miles southwest of Millstadt, IL called "Southwest Illinois Sport Aviation Flight Park."  The airfield, formerly known as Reibling Airport, was recently purchased by Robert "Bob" McDaniel, retired Airport Director at St. Louis Downtown Airport, and Bob has plans to develop the site.  The name Sport Aviation Flight Park is appropriate, as Bob flies a Cessna 172, a Spacewalker and also a powered parachute.  He himself is a reflection of how the airfield will cater to various types of flying machines. 

Bob's open house was Saturday, right after the Flying Dutchman Pancake Breakfast, so it was natural for flyers to leave there and make the short flight over to Bob's 2,300 foot long turf runway.  A hearty congratulations to Bob on his new endeavor!