Close enough that local people fly from all of them, are 13 airports, four personal landing strips and two seaplane bases. This is the area I like to call Kosko-land.

Invested in these fields and equipment is a very conservative million dollars. I wish I knew how many pilots fly from them."

One of the latest landing strips to open is located one mile south of Syracuse on road 13. Strip is 1365 feet long, 80 feet wide, runs northeast and southwest. Operated by R. H. Hunnicutt, it is as yet unverified by the state aeronautics commission. Gas and oil are available there.

Continuing north and east across Lake Wawasee we find a neat, but small, "all-over" field, spotted north of the Spink-Wawasee hotel. Shortest runway at the Spink-Wawasee airport is 1320 feet with the longest safe stretch, 2150 feet. Operator is Marvin Kruer, Syracuse phone F23.

 

Flying west less than 10 minutes along the north border of Kosciusko county, we would see the Nappanee airport. Located two miles east of Nappanee, is one runway, east and west 1875 feet long. Frank Aker Jr. is manager-operator.

Just to the north in the borders of Kosko-land are two Goshen airports. One is the super-duper former CAA emergency field, now Goshen municipal. Runways extend 3930 feet. Ritzy as airports go, they have radio range, teletype, weather station, rotating beacon, boundary lights and a snack bar.

Second airport at Goshen is "Midway" with 2450 foot runways. G. H. Campbell is the man to see at Goshen Midway, phone Dunlap 4. At Municipal, the manager is Jack P. Ford, phone Millersburg, 13 on 9.

Flying down toward Plymouth, you would necessarily pass over the domain of Bourbon's implement dealer and flyer, H. J. (Colonel Blimp) Dillingham. North west of Plymouth, we could land at Milton Fry's airport, also known as the Pierce Flying Service. (Phone 1641). Landing area there consists of sod strips 1950 feet long to 2300 feet.

South across the west border of Kosko-land at Rochester is one of the best maintained fields. One of the busiest, too. Rochester airport is operated by Wayne and Helen Outcelt. Wayne's sister is Mrs. Forest Deeter, of Warsaw. That's where yours truly learned to fly, so I've a soft spot for Rochester airport. Runways 1780 feet to 2680 --an all-over field. (Land anywhere.) I've been told they have a multiplying cat they are proud of. If you want a kitten, phone 17, Rochester.

There is a new field at Fulton, too. Operated by William Crabill, Rochester phone 737M, runways 1350 to 2150 feet.

We might land at North Manchester airport and remain there 'till next column. It's located roughly one mile west and a little north of Manchester along road 14. Shortest runway is 1600 feet, longest 2200. Wayne C. McDonald is operator there. His phone number is 797, Manchester.

We'll move in closer next column and get acquainted with airports in our own back yards, landing strips many people didn't know existed. We've been rather far afield today for a Warsaw aviation column--still it's all in Kosko-land! When you fly, distance shrinks.

X-COUNTRY
Grant Munson, Fort Wayne auto dealer, flying brother of Warsaw's Gael, Sr., laid up with a wrenched back. Hit a fence during take-off from farmer's field near Marion.

Raymond Holbrook, Sears employee, among those recently soloing airplane at Municipal Field.

Many folks wondering if any practical purpose is served by Bill Odom's flight around the world--and other similar "stunt" flights. There is. It was quite a severe test of man and machine. The man made it. Now the machine will no doubt come apart, be studied minutely. The nearly 80 hours of continuous running is not so much, but what makes it unique is that it was done under all conditions from below zero to hotter than heck. Experiments performed by the many great flyers of the past--some still with us and some who are not--enable us to now fly safer airplanes.

Porter county is acquiring 200 acres of land along Road 30 near Valparaiso for a municipal airport. the site has been approved by the state aeronautics board.

Warsaw Daily Times, Wed. Aug. 13, 1947

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