In Plane Site: Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport welcomes guests to anniversary celebration
Five-year-old Tyler Holdren takes the seat of pilot Edward Smith’s Cessna 170B Saturday during the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport’s open house celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wood County Airport Authority. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport Assistant Manager Sydnie Beall gives Tyler Holdren, 5, some bubbles Saturday during the airport’s open house. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
Bill Mayhew and Tammy Morton, both pilots, look at old photographs at the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport Saturday during an open house marking the Wood County Airport Authority’s 50th anniversary. Mayhew said it was neat seeing the progression of the airport over time. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
People gather around aircraft at the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport Saturday during an open house marking the Wood County Airport Authority’s 50th anniversary. Attendees got to talk to pilots, look at some of the planes at the airport and enjoy some barbecue. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
Pilot Edward Smith speaks to David Acers and Brock Acers about his Cessna 170B Saturday at the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport during an open house celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wood County Airport Authority. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
Five-year-old Tyler Holdren takes the seat of pilot Edward Smith’s Cessna 170B Saturday during the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport’s open house celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wood County Airport Authority. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport Assistant Manager Sydnie Beall gives Tyler Holdren, 5, some bubbles Saturday during the airport’s open house. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
Bill Mayhew and Tammy Morton, both pilots, look at old photographs at the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport Saturday during an open house marking the Wood County Airport Authority’s 50th anniversary. Mayhew said it was neat seeing the progression of the airport over time. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
People gather around aircraft at the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport Saturday during an open house marking the Wood County Airport Authority’s 50th anniversary. Attendees got to talk to pilots, look at some of the planes at the airport and enjoy some barbecue. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
Pilot Edward Smith speaks to David Acers and Brock Acers about his Cessna 170B Saturday at the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport during an open house celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wood County Airport Authority. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
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WILLIAMSTOWN -- Members of the community got the chance Saturday to talk to pilots, look at some of the planes at the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport, learn some of its history and even enjoy some barbecue at an open house celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wood County Airport Authority.
"It's our 50th anniversary, and we've been wanting to do a community event here," Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport Assistant Manager Sydnie Beall said. "So this was a great opportunity for that."
Beall said around 227 people had visited the airport by the early afternoon.
"We've had some good feedback on Facebook," she said.
Pilot Edward Smith, and other pilots, were on hand to talk to people about their planes, the airport and how to learn to fly.
"Now's the time to learn," Smith said. "There are some top-notch pilots and instructors at the Rivertown Aviation Flight School that can teach you how to fly."
Smith owns a Cessna 170B he had out of the hangar for people to look at and even let them sit in the cockpit. He said he just flew it up from Texas after purchasing it last week.
Smith said management at the airport has done a tremendous job to make the airport a great place to be.
"They've done a great job supporting the pilots here and have made things better," Smith said. "The airport has come a long way this past year."
Bill Mayhew and Tammy Morton, both pilots, said it was neat to see the progression the airport has gone through as they looked at old photographs in the airport lobby.
"A lot of people didn't even know there was an airport here," said Will Turner, owner and instructor at Rivertown Aviation, LLC.
Beall said there were more community events the airport was looking to do.
"They're in the planning stages now but we definitely want to have more," Beall said.
The airport has been around since the 1930s, but the authority, a county entity oversees its day-to-day operations, was established on May 10, 1973.
Douglass Huxley can be reached at dhuxley@newsandsentinel.com