By Tricia Pursell
SELINSGROVE — The rain drops hit the windshield of the tiny four-passenger Cessna plane as it smoothly ascended into the air at the skilled hands of pilot Hans Lawrence, Penn Valley Airport’s new flight instructor.
“You get a different perspective in the rain,” Lawrence said as the plane rose far above a wooded area north of Selinsgrove. “Everything looks so lush and green.”
Just a few minutes later, the plane was flying 1,500 feet in the air — at 130 miles per hour — over the borough of Milton, though it seemed it was barely moving.
The houses and businesses below looked like tiny models, and the farmland appeared as patches on a quilt. The boundaries of the Susquehanna River could be traced with a finger.
“Each one of those houses has its own story,” Lawrence said, as he looked out the window and directed his gaze downward.
Carol Myers and her husband sat in the backseat of the plane for the airplane ride, one of many that were given as part of the airport’s first fly-in since new management, Heritage Aviation, took over operations in November.
The Myers have lived in Selinsgrove for three years. “I always wanted to see what the town looked like from the air,” Carol said as she peered out the window. Lawrence has 2,000 flying hours under his belt. His passion for flying began when he was a young boy. His first flight occurred when he took a business trip with his father on the company plane. “The pilot let me sit up front,” he said. “It hooked me instantly. If it could fly, I wanted to know how to fly it.”
Two thousand flight hours later, Lawrence was up in the air once again, still in awe. “Honestly, there’s no feeling like this,” he said.
“These guys are passionate,” said Penn Valley Airport Authority member Charlie Benner, back on the ground. “They love their airplanes.”
A number of small-engine planes, many of them aged and full of history, were lined up in the blacktopped area of the airport, where more planes continued to land.
“People restore these planes, and they’re looking for airports that are friendly and nice,” said Jim Taylor, airport manager.
And that’s what Heritage Aviation, owned by Paul and Eric John, is planning to make happen. In fact, the results are already being seen.
In addition to fixing the leaky roofs, the installation of new doors, locks and lighting, and paving of areas in and around the hangars and ramp areas, Heritage Aviation has hired a full-time mechanic, a flight instructor and several part-time personnel to help pilots fuel up, as well as wash and detail their planes when they arrive at the airport. The conference rooms, classroom and lounge also received a makeover.
“I’m amazed at the improvements of the airport,” Benner said.
In the future, Taylor said the airport hopes to build a new common hangar so it can house more corporate jets, and install an instrument approach that would allow more jets to land there. He is hoping it will draw more corporate businesses to the area.
“The flight school has taken off,” Taylor added, asking listeners to pardon the pun.
In the first month, the school’s airplane was flown 49 hours. “In this downed and depressed economy, we’re growing our business here at Penn Valley,” Taylor said.
The Fly-In was planned in order to push for more public awareness of the airport. By 9 a.m., more than 30 planes had already arrived. Taylor was expecting more than 100 airplanes and approximately 500 people. He had contacted every airport within a 100-mile radius to advertise the event. Breakfast was served in the T-hangar.
“Put pilots and food together, and it’s a guaranteed success,” Taylor joked.
“I think it’s nice,” said Gene Salvatore, of Allentown, who flew into the airport with a group of friends for the event on Saturday morning. “It’s a beautiful flight down here.”
“This is what we do,” said Joe Hacker, also of Allentown. He and his friends look for fly-ins to attend all over the state. “Over the years, we get on the radio and say, ‘that’s where we’re going.’ ”
But it’s hard to find them anymore, Salvatore said. “It would be nice to have more events.”
Pilots came from as far away as Altoona, Carlisle, Bradford and Capital City. “They’re coming from all over,” Taylor said as he watched new planes roll in and kept his communication device close by his side.
“Success,” he said with a smile.
