Jonesboro’s First Freedom Fly-In

 

 

Light wind gusts made many people feel very comfortable throughout this special day in Jonesboro, Louisiana.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) and several local sponsors including the Town of Jonesboro held the first Freedom Fly-In ever at the Jonesboro Air Terminal.

 

Many in this Town and surrounding areas were completely unaware that Jonesboro even had an airport, let alone one that is up and coming.

 

Jonesboro Mayor Leslie Thompson, now in his 2nd term in office has been working closely with Tanya Shullingkamp from the DOTD as well as some local pilots since taking office in 2007 to boost Jonesboro’s economy in a much needed way. Among many, Mayor Thompson credits the assistance of Ms. Earline Knox who aided with securing and managing the grant funding over the past few years to help make today’s event a success.

 

 

 

 

Several antique vehicles were featured, and an air show climaxed the day’s activities.

 

 

 

One of the competitions involved Spot Landing where pilots put their landing skills to the test by seeing who can land their plane closest to the white line without crossing it first and without bouncing.

 

The Fount was blessed to have walked out to the air strip just in time to witness and film the winning landing seen in the following video:

 

 

22 year old Travis Shirley of Winnsboro, Louisiana let his much more experienced peers know that even though he’s only been a certified pilot for 1 year, youth still has its advantages!   Travis, who was all smiles out landed his competition in a 1966 Beechcraft to claim a winner-take-all prize that he says was just enough to cover his expenses.

 

 

All in all, everybody appeared to have a good time.  It’s reported some 100 planes arrived here at the Jonesboro Air Terminal to help celebrate this occasion, just 1 day before the 10 year anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy.

 

 

It’s also reported a few people arrived early the night before to sleep under the wings of their airplanes, and when all was said and done, even though temperatures warmed up a bit many people didn’t want to leave.

 

 

The atmosphere was positive, upbeat and Thomas Holland’s “The Hickory Hut BBQ” located in Hodge near the paper mill was on site serving good food at a small price.

 

One older local woman commented how clean and well maintained the grounds were and said she had never seen it look so nice.  Another older person said he recalled a time where the grass was so high he couldn’t see the runway on the other side, and that he was so happy to know an air fuel station was soon on the way.  “It’s gonna be great for Jonesboro and all the areas around here.  People don’t realize it but with the way things are all over this country this place is really blessed.”

Jonesboro is blessed indeed.

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