Aircraft enthusiasts build experimental plane at local airport
By Lee Kendall
Thursday, March 4, 2021
If all goes well, there will be a brand-spanking new airplane available for prospective pilots use for training, by the end of the summer at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport.
According to Bobby Craft, chairman of the airport’s board of directors, EAA-1522, the local chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association, acquired a kit to build an airplane a little more than a year ago.
The kit is for the build of an RV-12 Legacy, a two-seat plane. The kit has over 40 pages of instruction on how it is to be put together.
“Bud Newhouse, from Cincinnati, has flown in and out of our airport numerous times and became a friend of ours many years ago,” Craft explained. “He had already built two planes from scratch and purchased a kit for a third plane. But he just didn’t feel like he had the time and really didn’t want to invest the $50,000 necessary for the motor and avionics equipment for that third plane. He got started with the project, but just kind of stopped along the way.”
Craft said Newhouse liked the fact that Cynthiana was reaching out to youngsters who had an interest in flying, and donated the plane to EAA-1522, the Cynthiana branch of EAA.
“Like I’ve said, we had the kit sitting in a corner for about a year and we were trying to figure out how to tackle putting it together,” he explained. “We had to put together a plan.”
He said that plan was to try and figure out where to pick up with the construction Newhouse had begun, where to come up with the funding for the motor and avionics and who to approach about ramrodding the project.
Finding a person with the expertise to lead the project turned out to be pretty simple.
Keith Aultman retired from UPS in Louisville as an aircraft mechanic in July 2020. He heard from a friend about a little airport around Lexington that might be able to use his services.
“I made a phone call and said I’d like to take a peek at what they have,” Aultman said in an interview on Tuesday. “When I saw how well the construction had been done by Bud, and how far along they were, I couldn’t help but say yes.”
Aultman has already built from scratch a couple of these types of experimental airplanes, but has not yet seen the support he has received from the EAA crew at the local airport. He was particularly glad that high school students would be his workmates for the most part.
“They have top-notch equipment first of all which makes this fairly easy to do, and the kids have been so eager to help. Having students take part really tipped the scales for me to take on this job,” he said. “And my gosh, these folks go to the end of the earth to help you. I have never run into a shop like this that is so welcoming, so organized and so willing to do whatever is necessary to complete this project.”
Aultman began making the trip from Louisville to Cynthiana on Saturdays a little more than a month ago. He expects the project to be 100% completed by the middle of July..
“Later this week, the avionics for the plane are scheduled to arrive and the engine is supposed to be here in May,” he said. “It shouldn’t take long after receiving those to get the plane finished.”
Once the construction of the plane is completed, all that remains for the plane to be allowed to fly are a couple of mandatory inspections, by FAA personnel.
There is an air worthiness inspection that makes sure construction done by Aultman and his EAA-1522 crew was done correctly, then there is a flying test that must take place.
“The aircraft has to be flown for a total of 40 hours, before it is given its final okay and a passenger is allowed into the airplane” Craft said.
All of those boxes will be checked, but not until after the big air show, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, also in July, where Aultman wants to take the plane so it can be displayed.
Oshkosh is the international headquarters for EAA, and experimental aircraft from all over the world are brought to the air show.
Aultman said his connections with UPS might come in handy with getting this RV-12 Legacy to Wisconsin for that air show.
“The first airplane that I built, UPS agreed to ship it to Oshkosh for that air show,” the Louisville mechanic said. “The wings were taken off and the whole plane was put inside the belly of a UPS 747 and flown up there, then they flew it back to Louisville after the event. I’m not sure UPS will agree to do that again this time, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. I know they were impressed with the project then, and I don’t see why they wouldn’t be now.”
Craft said that when the project is completed and the plane is sitting in a hangar at the local airport, one more hoop will need to be jumped through.
“We’ve got to figure out who will own the plane, for liability purposes,” he said.
He said that almost all experimental planes of this type are built by private citizens for personal use. This one, however, is built by Aultman, along with the members of EAA-1522.
“EAA-1522 is not allowed to own the plane, due to those liability concerns. That is handed down to us from Oshkosh,” Craft said. “We have an existing flying club and we really don’t want that liability either. But we will figure something out. This has been a really good project and the work these kids have done is amazing.”
By Lee Kendall
Thursday, March 4, 2021
If all goes well, there will be a brand-spanking new airplane available for prospective pilots use for training, by the end of the summer at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport.
According to Bobby Craft, chairman of the airport’s board of directors, EAA-1522, the local chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association, acquired a kit to build an airplane a little more than a year ago.
The kit is for the build of an RV-12 Legacy, a two-seat plane. The kit has over 40 pages of instruction on how it is to be put together.
“Bud Newhouse, from Cincinnati, has flown in and out of our airport numerous times and became a friend of ours many years ago,” Craft explained. “He had already built two planes from scratch and purchased a kit for a third plane. But he just didn’t feel like he had the time and really didn’t want to invest the $50,000 necessary for the motor and avionics equipment for that third plane. He got started with the project, but just kind of stopped along the way.”
Craft said Newhouse liked the fact that Cynthiana was reaching out to youngsters who had an interest in flying, and donated the plane to EAA-1522, the Cynthiana branch of EAA.
“Like I’ve said, we had the kit sitting in a corner for about a year and we were trying to figure out how to tackle putting it together,” he explained. “We had to put together a plan.”
He said that plan was to try and figure out where to pick up with the construction Newhouse had begun, where to come up with the funding for the motor and avionics and who to approach about ramrodding the project.
Finding a person with the expertise to lead the project turned out to be pretty simple.
Keith Aultman retired from UPS in Louisville as an aircraft mechanic in July 2020. He heard from a friend about a little airport around Lexington that might be able to use his services.
“I made a phone call and said I’d like to take a peek at what they have,” Aultman said in an interview on Tuesday. “When I saw how well the construction had been done by Bud, and how far along they were, I couldn’t help but say yes.”
Aultman has already built from scratch a couple of these types of experimental airplanes, but has not yet seen the support he has received from the EAA crew at the local airport. He was particularly glad that high school students would be his workmates for the most part.
“They have top-notch equipment first of all which makes this fairly easy to do, and the kids have been so eager to help. Having students take part really tipped the scales for me to take on this job,” he said. “And my gosh, these folks go to the end of the earth to help you. I have never run into a shop like this that is so welcoming, so organized and so willing to do whatever is necessary to complete this project.”
Aultman began making the trip from Louisville to Cynthiana on Saturdays a little more than a month ago. He expects the project to be 100% completed by the middle of July..
“Later this week, the avionics for the plane are scheduled to arrive and the engine is supposed to be here in May,” he said. “It shouldn’t take long after receiving those to get the plane finished.”
Once the construction of the plane is completed, all that remains for the plane to be allowed to fly are a couple of mandatory inspections, by FAA personnel.
There is an air worthiness inspection that makes sure construction done by Aultman and his EAA-1522 crew was done correctly, then there is a flying test that must take place.
“The aircraft has to be flown for a total of 40 hours, before it is given its final okay and a passenger is allowed into the airplane” Craft said.
All of those boxes will be checked, but not until after the big air show, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, also in July, where Aultman wants to take the plane so it can be displayed.
Oshkosh is the international headquarters for EAA, and experimental aircraft from all over the world are brought to the air show.
Aultman said his connections with UPS might come in handy with getting this RV-12 Legacy to Wisconsin for that air show.
“The first airplane that I built, UPS agreed to ship it to Oshkosh for that air show,” the Louisville mechanic said. “The wings were taken off and the whole plane was put inside the belly of a UPS 747 and flown up there, then they flew it back to Louisville after the event. I’m not sure UPS will agree to do that again this time, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. I know they were impressed with the project then, and I don’t see why they wouldn’t be now.”
Craft said that when the project is completed and the plane is sitting in a hangar at the local airport, one more hoop will need to be jumped through.
“We’ve got to figure out who will own the plane, for liability purposes,” he said.
He said that almost all experimental planes of this type are built by private citizens for personal use. This one, however, is built by Aultman, along with the members of EAA-1522.
“EAA-1522 is not allowed to own the plane, due to those liability concerns. That is handed down to us from Oshkosh,” Craft said. “We have an existing flying club and we really don’t want that liability either. But we will figure something out. This has been a really good project and the work these kids have done is amazing.”
Craft honored for her work with Young EaglesThursday, August 20, 2020 at 10:16 am
Lee Kendall,
News Writer
[email protected]
Lee Kendall
A Harrison County woman was recently honored as the 2020 Outstanding Chapter Coordinator by the Experimental Aircraft Association, for her long time work with the popular Young Eagles Program.
Re’Jeana Craft won the national award for her work in growing the Young Eagles Program at the EAA Chapter 1522 facility located at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport.
“I am not one to take all the credit for our Young Eagles Program,” Craft said. “We have several volunteers that work hard to make these events possible. I love this program and the opportunity that it provides for the younger generation.”
Craft said there are currently seven pilots who fly from the local airport who are Young Eagles Program graduates.
Launched in 1992 nationally, the Young Eagles program has dedicated almost 30 years to giving youth ages 8–17 their first free ride in an airplane. To date, over 2.2 million youngsters have participated in the Young Eagles Program.
Craft began her involvement in the YEP in 1998 when she and her husband, Bobby, began volunteering at the YEP, in Georgetown
.
Bobby volunteered as a pilot and Re’Jeana helped with registration at EAA Chapter 169, Georgetown airport’s chapter.
That next year, Bobby asked Chapter 169 to have a rally at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport.
“Not knowing what to expect, we refrained from advertising too much and wound up flying around 40 Young Eagles,” Re’Jeana recalled. “The next year we advertised in our local paper (the Cynthiana Democrat) and more than doubled our attendance.”
Shortly after those first two years, Georgetown’s Chapter 169 decided to quit sponsoring the Cynthiana event.
“This was devastating and I was unsure it we were going to be able to continue with the program that I had come to love,” she said. “That same year, my husband’s cousin, John Allen, who was the FAA Director, Flight Standard Service, came to visit and asked if we had ever heard of the Young Eagles Program. That year we had flown about 198 Young Eagles and after showing him the DVD of photos, he made a couple of phone calls and EAA agreed to make me a Young Eagles Field Representative for Kentucky.”
She remained in that capacity for several years before the local airport decided to start its own EAA chapter in 2012. EAA Chapter 1522 was formed and in 2013 the local chapter flew over 300 Young Eagles in a four-hour event.
“The rallies became an obsession with me and I started setting a goal from year to year hoping to outdo the previous year,” Craft said. “I had a banner made, advertised in three different newspapers, had fliers made, went to schools to talk about the program and posted on social media outlets.”
In order for an event like this to take place, local and area pilots must volunteer to fly their planes. Craft is indebted to those dedicated pilots who have participated in the Young Eagles Program over the years.
“We have had pilots fly in from California, Texas and Michigan just to take part in the Young Eagles rally,” she said. “To this date, we have had 62 different pilots fly Young Eagles at our airport and three of those pilots are former Young Eagles themselves.”
Craft said no one will be happier than her when the current coronavirus pandemic runs its course.
“The airport’s EAA Chapter 1522 Young Eagles Program has become an event that not only we look forward to, but our entire community looks forward to,” she concluded. “I couldn’t be any more honored to be a part of this amazing program.”
Airport gets $1 million for taxiway
Thursday, June 12, 2014 at 10:25 am
By Kayla Pickrell, Intern (Cynthiana Democrat)
The Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport Board received a $1 million grant from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Department of Aviation for safety improvements, according to a press release.
Gov. Steve Beshear announced the award on June 5 for a 2,757-foot parallel taxiway to the runway.
The grant has been on the radar for several years, but the money became available and the priorities changed, said Bobby Craft, chairman of the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport Board.
“Local and regional airports create economic development opportunities and add to the quality of life of our communities,” Gov. Beshear said. “Keeping them safe and providing means for their continual improvement benefits the communities they serve, but also the entire Commonwealth.”
Craft said that once they complete the parallel taxiway, the airport will expect more airplanes. He said it could be a safety issue with only one taxiway while trying to back up the airplanes to allow for more to land.
“It’s going to be nice and it will free it up out there,” Craft said.
According to the press release, the airplanes could safely exit the runway and taxi back to park, which would free space for other airplanes to take-off or land.
“I’m really pleased to see this airport expansion project move forward and want to thank Gov. Beshear and his administration for making this possible,” said Rep. Tom McKee. “The local airport has long been an asset for our community and will be even more accessible once this project is complete.”
Craft said the airport should be completed by October 2015. An archaeological dig, studies and the design will be developed in 2014. The bid for the proposed $2 million project will start at the beginning of 2015.
Thursday, June 12, 2014 at 10:25 am
By Kayla Pickrell, Intern (Cynthiana Democrat)
The Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport Board received a $1 million grant from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Department of Aviation for safety improvements, according to a press release.
Gov. Steve Beshear announced the award on June 5 for a 2,757-foot parallel taxiway to the runway.
The grant has been on the radar for several years, but the money became available and the priorities changed, said Bobby Craft, chairman of the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport Board.
“Local and regional airports create economic development opportunities and add to the quality of life of our communities,” Gov. Beshear said. “Keeping them safe and providing means for their continual improvement benefits the communities they serve, but also the entire Commonwealth.”
Craft said that once they complete the parallel taxiway, the airport will expect more airplanes. He said it could be a safety issue with only one taxiway while trying to back up the airplanes to allow for more to land.
“It’s going to be nice and it will free it up out there,” Craft said.
According to the press release, the airplanes could safely exit the runway and taxi back to park, which would free space for other airplanes to take-off or land.
“I’m really pleased to see this airport expansion project move forward and want to thank Gov. Beshear and his administration for making this possible,” said Rep. Tom McKee. “The local airport has long been an asset for our community and will be even more accessible once this project is complete.”
Craft said the airport should be completed by October 2015. An archaeological dig, studies and the design will be developed in 2014. The bid for the proposed $2 million project will start at the beginning of 2015.
17-year-old Barnes earns pilot’s licenseThursday, November 14, 2013 at 11:00 am
By Joshua Shepherd
At 17 years old, Justin Barnes became one of the youngest persons ever to earn their pilot’s license at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport.
Justin, the son of Karen and Wally Barnes, earned his license last August. He was one of four students to complete the pilot’s course before flight instructor Nick Anderson announced he would be taking his own flight skills to the next level in the United States Air Force.
The others taking classes were two doctors and an administrator with Toyota, Barnes said.
Flight lessons were not cheap. While he got some support from his parents, it was not something they could afford alone, he said. He had to come up with some of the money in his own.
Other teenagers get part time work and summer jobs to someday buy a car. Barnes, on the other hand, spent years saving his money from various jobs in order to afford his flying lessons.
“My mom and dad always encouraged me to do this. When Nick [Anderson] came along to offer lessons, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. It took everything I’d saved, but I went ahead with it,” Barnes said.
Flying was something Barnes has wanted to do from the time he was a little boy. And probably even earlier than that.
“I was flying in a private airplane before I was even born. My mom told me about how she flew with her dad while she was pregnant with me. They were up in his plane this one time and she was complaining about being air sick. He guessed right then that she might be having a baby,” Barnes said. “So it’s kind of like flying has been in my blood.”
Barnes’ grandfather on his mother’s side, the late Jim Wornall, an Air Force veteran, maintained a pilot’s license all his life.
But the influences are not all on his mother’s side, Barnes said. Barnes’ other grandfather, the late Godfrey Barnes, also served in the Air Force and made a living in airplane maintenance.
Though neither of his parents have held a pilot’s license, flying and small planes have been important facets of Barnes’ family life.
Barnes began taking lessons out at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport at the end of February. Within six months, he had completed all of the requirements and passed his check flight, the pilot’s version of the driver’s test.
To earn his license, he was required to log at least 40 hours of flight time. Of those 40 hours, half are used for instruction. Ten hours are allotted for general time with or without an instructor, depending on how well the student is progressing.
Students must also log a minimum of 10 hours of solo flight with five being cross-country solos to an airport 50 nautical miles away, Barnes explained.
“To get those hours in, I’ve flown to the London airport, the airfield in Ashland and to the ones in Somerset and Danville,” Barnes said.
According to Barnes, the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport is an excellent training ground for new pilots. The airfield presents some unique challenges for young flyers, particularly when it comes to landings.
“For some reason, Runway 2-9 at Harrison County always has wind, even in calm conditions. It’s not dangerous, but it forces even experienced pilots to pay attention as they descend,” Barnes said.
Another force to which Barnes paid attention was his instructor.
“Nick challenged me. Though the regulations for a license require just 40 hours, he says pilots need about 50-60 hours under a lot of different conditions to become proficient flyers,” Barnes said.
Anderson’s instruction placed far more expectations on Barnes than what he needed for the check flight to earn his license, he said.
“After Nick got through with me, passing the check flight was a breeze,” he said.
Barnes is licensed as a recreational pilot, which is what he enjoys doing most. He is not sure whether he wants to pursue this passion into professional life, but he’s young enough to have that option open to him if he chooses it.
In the meantime, he is simply satisfied with having accomplished this goal in his personal life.
By Joshua Shepherd
At 17 years old, Justin Barnes became one of the youngest persons ever to earn their pilot’s license at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport.
Justin, the son of Karen and Wally Barnes, earned his license last August. He was one of four students to complete the pilot’s course before flight instructor Nick Anderson announced he would be taking his own flight skills to the next level in the United States Air Force.
The others taking classes were two doctors and an administrator with Toyota, Barnes said.
Flight lessons were not cheap. While he got some support from his parents, it was not something they could afford alone, he said. He had to come up with some of the money in his own.
Other teenagers get part time work and summer jobs to someday buy a car. Barnes, on the other hand, spent years saving his money from various jobs in order to afford his flying lessons.
“My mom and dad always encouraged me to do this. When Nick [Anderson] came along to offer lessons, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. It took everything I’d saved, but I went ahead with it,” Barnes said.
Flying was something Barnes has wanted to do from the time he was a little boy. And probably even earlier than that.
“I was flying in a private airplane before I was even born. My mom told me about how she flew with her dad while she was pregnant with me. They were up in his plane this one time and she was complaining about being air sick. He guessed right then that she might be having a baby,” Barnes said. “So it’s kind of like flying has been in my blood.”
Barnes’ grandfather on his mother’s side, the late Jim Wornall, an Air Force veteran, maintained a pilot’s license all his life.
But the influences are not all on his mother’s side, Barnes said. Barnes’ other grandfather, the late Godfrey Barnes, also served in the Air Force and made a living in airplane maintenance.
Though neither of his parents have held a pilot’s license, flying and small planes have been important facets of Barnes’ family life.
Barnes began taking lessons out at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport at the end of February. Within six months, he had completed all of the requirements and passed his check flight, the pilot’s version of the driver’s test.
To earn his license, he was required to log at least 40 hours of flight time. Of those 40 hours, half are used for instruction. Ten hours are allotted for general time with or without an instructor, depending on how well the student is progressing.
Students must also log a minimum of 10 hours of solo flight with five being cross-country solos to an airport 50 nautical miles away, Barnes explained.
“To get those hours in, I’ve flown to the London airport, the airfield in Ashland and to the ones in Somerset and Danville,” Barnes said.
According to Barnes, the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport is an excellent training ground for new pilots. The airfield presents some unique challenges for young flyers, particularly when it comes to landings.
“For some reason, Runway 2-9 at Harrison County always has wind, even in calm conditions. It’s not dangerous, but it forces even experienced pilots to pay attention as they descend,” Barnes said.
Another force to which Barnes paid attention was his instructor.
“Nick challenged me. Though the regulations for a license require just 40 hours, he says pilots need about 50-60 hours under a lot of different conditions to become proficient flyers,” Barnes said.
Anderson’s instruction placed far more expectations on Barnes than what he needed for the check flight to earn his license, he said.
“After Nick got through with me, passing the check flight was a breeze,” he said.
Barnes is licensed as a recreational pilot, which is what he enjoys doing most. He is not sure whether he wants to pursue this passion into professional life, but he’s young enough to have that option open to him if he chooses it.
In the meantime, he is simply satisfied with having accomplished this goal in his personal life.
A gem to the community
Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 10:14 am
To the editor:
Our community has a “gem” not too far from the heart of downtown Cynthiana and several runners this weekend got a chance to glimpse it.
The Chamber’s Earth Day one-mile for Kids and 5K were held out at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport. What a beautiful facility the new terminal is and how incredibly fortunate we are to have such an airport in our county. Several of our runners were from out of town, but even many of our Harrison County runners hadn’t realized we had such a gem. In spite of the rain, Harrison County looked beautiful.
Pat Grenier
Cynthiana
Chamber director
Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 10:14 am
To the editor:
Our community has a “gem” not too far from the heart of downtown Cynthiana and several runners this weekend got a chance to glimpse it.
The Chamber’s Earth Day one-mile for Kids and 5K were held out at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport. What a beautiful facility the new terminal is and how incredibly fortunate we are to have such an airport in our county. Several of our runners were from out of town, but even many of our Harrison County runners hadn’t realized we had such a gem. In spite of the rain, Harrison County looked beautiful.
Pat Grenier
Cynthiana
Chamber director
Hill takes first flight at age 87
Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 9:45 am
Frances H. Hill took her first airplane ride at the age of 87 at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport in the spring. Her pilot was her son, Frank Hill, of Otowah, Tenn., and the owner of the plane.
Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 9:45 am
Frances H. Hill took her first airplane ride at the age of 87 at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport in the spring. Her pilot was her son, Frank Hill, of Otowah, Tenn., and the owner of the plane.
Searching high and low for the right hobby
Thursday, June 30, 2011 at 8:47 am
By Ben Hyatt
Hobbies are defining.
Hobbies are stress relievers.. when you do them well. If not, you need a hobby away from your hobby.
Hobbies are necessity.
A hobby can rule you if you let it or it can be a tool used to get out of the house and off your wife’s last nerve... Why do you think so many men play golf?
I enjoy hunting, fishing, vollyball and I have recently started lifting weights.
Bow hunting is the hobby that requires most of my hobby money up until this point.
I justify the expense though by bringing food home and strengthening the friendship with my father in-law.
While hunting will always be my No. 1 hobby, I’m quickly developing a new one. I say “quickly” because I don’t want my wife to change her mind.
In April, Harrison County fell victim to another flood, which caused several acres of farm land and parts of Cynthiana to be under water.
Assistant Animal Control Officer Paul Colson told me that Bobby Craft flew frequently and that he would probably be happy to take me up for pictures of the waterlogged city.
A few phone calls later and I was equiped with a headset and headed down runway one at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport to take some aerial shots of the town.
From the moment Bobby pulled the yoke of his Cessna airplane back and the wheels left the secured hard surface of the earth, I was hooked.
Now this was not my first time flying in an airplane, but it was the first time flying in a single-engine propeller plane, and I was enjoying every second of it.
The view.
The adrenalin.
The ability of having a window seat no matter where you sit!
As Bobby flew around Cynthiana, he asked me where I was living and before I had the address out of my mouth, we were headed right toward The Ponderosa.
Getting to see my home from an angle I was not used to seeing was neat.
As the ride came to an end, I started thinking about how nice it would be to become a private pilot myself.
Since that day, I have made several more trips to the air. To be honest, it seems really natural to be 1,000 feet above the ground.
Everyone who is involved at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport has been extremely welcoming and has done their best to fill my now need to fly.
I learned that one of my childhood friends, Nick Anderson, was on a quest to obtain his Certified Flight Instructor certificate, which would enable him to teach flying lessons.
Hopefully, I will one day have the opportunity to fly and introduce several youngsters to how incredible it is to enjoy a multi-use hobby.
I hope that the citizens of Harrison County understand the importance of the airport and what or who it brings to Cynthiana.
Anyone who has visited the place will quickly see that it is not some kind of club where the rich and famous come to gloat over how much money they have to spend. As Waylon Jennings would sing it.. ‘Just the good ol’ boys.’
The men and women that frequently use the airport are more than generous with their time.
I mentioned in a edition the nine pilots that dedicated their time to the Young Eagles Program. Again this week, readers will have the opportunity to see the Silver Eagles getting their chance to go up in a plane.
To the pilots, I would like to say thank you for your dedication and time that you donate to the citizens of Harrison County both young and more seasoned.
I appreciate the time you have given me, as well, in my drive toward obtaining my private licence.
Once I get my licence, you can bet that I will add trips to Florida to my growing list of hobbies.
Thursday, June 30, 2011 at 8:47 am
By Ben Hyatt
Hobbies are defining.
Hobbies are stress relievers.. when you do them well. If not, you need a hobby away from your hobby.
Hobbies are necessity.
A hobby can rule you if you let it or it can be a tool used to get out of the house and off your wife’s last nerve... Why do you think so many men play golf?
I enjoy hunting, fishing, vollyball and I have recently started lifting weights.
Bow hunting is the hobby that requires most of my hobby money up until this point.
I justify the expense though by bringing food home and strengthening the friendship with my father in-law.
While hunting will always be my No. 1 hobby, I’m quickly developing a new one. I say “quickly” because I don’t want my wife to change her mind.
In April, Harrison County fell victim to another flood, which caused several acres of farm land and parts of Cynthiana to be under water.
Assistant Animal Control Officer Paul Colson told me that Bobby Craft flew frequently and that he would probably be happy to take me up for pictures of the waterlogged city.
A few phone calls later and I was equiped with a headset and headed down runway one at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport to take some aerial shots of the town.
From the moment Bobby pulled the yoke of his Cessna airplane back and the wheels left the secured hard surface of the earth, I was hooked.
Now this was not my first time flying in an airplane, but it was the first time flying in a single-engine propeller plane, and I was enjoying every second of it.
The view.
The adrenalin.
The ability of having a window seat no matter where you sit!
As Bobby flew around Cynthiana, he asked me where I was living and before I had the address out of my mouth, we were headed right toward The Ponderosa.
Getting to see my home from an angle I was not used to seeing was neat.
As the ride came to an end, I started thinking about how nice it would be to become a private pilot myself.
Since that day, I have made several more trips to the air. To be honest, it seems really natural to be 1,000 feet above the ground.
Everyone who is involved at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport has been extremely welcoming and has done their best to fill my now need to fly.
I learned that one of my childhood friends, Nick Anderson, was on a quest to obtain his Certified Flight Instructor certificate, which would enable him to teach flying lessons.
Hopefully, I will one day have the opportunity to fly and introduce several youngsters to how incredible it is to enjoy a multi-use hobby.
I hope that the citizens of Harrison County understand the importance of the airport and what or who it brings to Cynthiana.
Anyone who has visited the place will quickly see that it is not some kind of club where the rich and famous come to gloat over how much money they have to spend. As Waylon Jennings would sing it.. ‘Just the good ol’ boys.’
The men and women that frequently use the airport are more than generous with their time.
I mentioned in a edition the nine pilots that dedicated their time to the Young Eagles Program. Again this week, readers will have the opportunity to see the Silver Eagles getting their chance to go up in a plane.
To the pilots, I would like to say thank you for your dedication and time that you donate to the citizens of Harrison County both young and more seasoned.
I appreciate the time you have given me, as well, in my drive toward obtaining my private licence.
Once I get my licence, you can bet that I will add trips to Florida to my growing list of hobbies.
Pilot makes emergency landing at Cynthiana airport
Sunday, October 3, 2010 at 8:00 pm
By Kate Rash (Cynthiana Democrat)
The Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport was the answer to Stuart Marsden’s prayers last Wednesday evening.
In need of a runway for an emergency landing, Marsden, 35, found the perfect spot in Cynthiana.
According to Ptl. Brian Hassall’s Cynthiana Police report, Marsden was piloting a 2003 Cirrus SR-22 airplane from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Atlanta, Ga., when an oil line blew, spraying and covering the front windshield of the plane.
Located about one mile northwest of Cynthiana at 7:30 p.m., Marsden declared an emergency and was told to land at the local airport.
“He just couldn’t see because of the oil on the windshield,” said Airport Board Chairman Bobby Craft.
According to the report, the plane landed midway down the runway, slid off the right side of the end of the runway and stopped in a soy bean field.
Sunday, October 3, 2010 at 8:00 pm
By Kate Rash (Cynthiana Democrat)
The Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport was the answer to Stuart Marsden’s prayers last Wednesday evening.
In need of a runway for an emergency landing, Marsden, 35, found the perfect spot in Cynthiana.
According to Ptl. Brian Hassall’s Cynthiana Police report, Marsden was piloting a 2003 Cirrus SR-22 airplane from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Atlanta, Ga., when an oil line blew, spraying and covering the front windshield of the plane.
Located about one mile northwest of Cynthiana at 7:30 p.m., Marsden declared an emergency and was told to land at the local airport.
“He just couldn’t see because of the oil on the windshield,” said Airport Board Chairman Bobby Craft.
According to the report, the plane landed midway down the runway, slid off the right side of the end of the runway and stopped in a soy bean field.
Barnes heads to Air Academy, thanks to Young Eagles donations
By Kate Darnell
Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Justin Barnes loves being in the air.
“I’ve liked it from an early age,” Barnes said last Thursday afternoon at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport. “Just being up there and seeing the Earth from a different point of view...”
It’s a passion that began with airplane rides with his grandfather, the late Jim Wornall, who served on the airport board for 40 years.
Barnes’ love of planes will only be heightened this summer when he attends the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Air Academy in Oshkosh, Wisc. July 12-17.
By Kate Darnell
Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Justin Barnes loves being in the air.
“I’ve liked it from an early age,” Barnes said last Thursday afternoon at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport. “Just being up there and seeing the Earth from a different point of view...”
It’s a passion that began with airplane rides with his grandfather, the late Jim Wornall, who served on the airport board for 40 years.
Barnes’ love of planes will only be heightened this summer when he attends the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Air Academy in Oshkosh, Wisc. July 12-17.
Looking at Cynthiana from heaven’s angle
Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 8:00 pm
By Becky Barnes (Cynthiana Democrat)
Cynthiana never looked so beautiful.
I’ve seen Cynthiana from the air before. I’ve been in the passenger seat of small planes that took off and landed at our own airstrip with the capable pilots of first, Reed Anderson many years ago, then Doug Coy, and Jim Wornall. I’ve also flown with Richard Colvin from the Pendleton County airport.
But nothing had prepared me for breathtaking sights to be seen from the backseat of an ultralight.
Last Friday, opening night of the new Harrison County sports complex, I found myself in need of a photograph from heaven’s angle.
Like many Harrison Countians, I have marveled at the brightly colored motorized parachute being piloted above for several years.
The man in the pilot’s seat is Steve Snapp, whom many may remember from the Flood of 1997 with his hovercraft used in countless rescue operations. I rode with Steve then to document the devastation, but Friday’s ride was a vast contrast to the ugly trail of destruction.
I was at first apprehensive, but excited, nonetheless.
Steve’s son Austin innocently added to that by proclaiming that the landing would be “a little bumpy.”
Oh, great, I thought, feeling my stomach rise into my throat.
Steve expertly laid the parachute out, declining my offer of assistance.
“A good pilot will never accept help,” Steve said. “When you do, you might forget something.”
And, Steve is a good pilot, having logged hundreds of hours in both an airplane and his ultralight, the latter he has been piloting since 1988.
With camera secured tightly around my neck, Steve directed me to the perch that was to provide my bird’s eye view of Cynthiana.
Ear plugs, seat belt... and hold on!
We plodded across the grass strip and then lifted toward blue skies. It wasn’t until the craft leveled off that I fully appreciated the view. There before me was vast green fields, an unusual sight for this time of year, but one that was made possible by the rainy summer.
We skirted the limits of Cynthiana, allowing the camera’s lens to reach some of the headline-grabbing sights.
I took nearly 100 photographs, but still I caught myself just breathing in the beauty and forgetting that I was up there to take pictures.
I got my shots and we headed for the grass landing strip. Austin’s words were very close in my mind as we made the approach.
“This is going to be bumpy. Just a little bumpy,” I silently chanted.
And, then, we were on the ground.
Much to my surprise, the “bumpy” was no more so than the ride on the back of my husband’s motorcycle as it passes over some of Harrison County’s pitted and pot-holed highways.
In the coming weeks, you may be treated to some of the photographs that my lens was able to capture. We tried to hit the spots that either have been or will be in the headlines.
Thanks to Steve, you will have a different angle.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 8:00 pm
By Becky Barnes (Cynthiana Democrat)
Cynthiana never looked so beautiful.
I’ve seen Cynthiana from the air before. I’ve been in the passenger seat of small planes that took off and landed at our own airstrip with the capable pilots of first, Reed Anderson many years ago, then Doug Coy, and Jim Wornall. I’ve also flown with Richard Colvin from the Pendleton County airport.
But nothing had prepared me for breathtaking sights to be seen from the backseat of an ultralight.
Last Friday, opening night of the new Harrison County sports complex, I found myself in need of a photograph from heaven’s angle.
Like many Harrison Countians, I have marveled at the brightly colored motorized parachute being piloted above for several years.
The man in the pilot’s seat is Steve Snapp, whom many may remember from the Flood of 1997 with his hovercraft used in countless rescue operations. I rode with Steve then to document the devastation, but Friday’s ride was a vast contrast to the ugly trail of destruction.
I was at first apprehensive, but excited, nonetheless.
Steve’s son Austin innocently added to that by proclaiming that the landing would be “a little bumpy.”
Oh, great, I thought, feeling my stomach rise into my throat.
Steve expertly laid the parachute out, declining my offer of assistance.
“A good pilot will never accept help,” Steve said. “When you do, you might forget something.”
And, Steve is a good pilot, having logged hundreds of hours in both an airplane and his ultralight, the latter he has been piloting since 1988.
With camera secured tightly around my neck, Steve directed me to the perch that was to provide my bird’s eye view of Cynthiana.
Ear plugs, seat belt... and hold on!
We plodded across the grass strip and then lifted toward blue skies. It wasn’t until the craft leveled off that I fully appreciated the view. There before me was vast green fields, an unusual sight for this time of year, but one that was made possible by the rainy summer.
We skirted the limits of Cynthiana, allowing the camera’s lens to reach some of the headline-grabbing sights.
I took nearly 100 photographs, but still I caught myself just breathing in the beauty and forgetting that I was up there to take pictures.
I got my shots and we headed for the grass landing strip. Austin’s words were very close in my mind as we made the approach.
“This is going to be bumpy. Just a little bumpy,” I silently chanted.
And, then, we were on the ground.
Much to my surprise, the “bumpy” was no more so than the ride on the back of my husband’s motorcycle as it passes over some of Harrison County’s pitted and pot-holed highways.
In the coming weeks, you may be treated to some of the photographs that my lens was able to capture. We tried to hit the spots that either have been or will be in the headlines.
Thanks to Steve, you will have a different angle.
