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Small-Town Airports Close as Fewer Pilots Take to Skies

Published

11 years ago

June 9, 2015

In this June 1, 2015 photo, Gene Martin, owner of Martin Field, left, manually starts the engine of an Aeronca Chief airplane as flight instructor Scott Currie, right and 12-year-old flight student Pierce Turner, right, sit in the aircraft before taking off, in South Sioux City, Neb. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

SCOTT McFETRIDGE, Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — For the first time in 60 years, airplanes won’t be roaring down the runway at the airstrip in Onawa, Iowa, this summer. Racing dragsters will.

Like many small cities across the country, Onawa is closing its airfield largely because of the steady decline in the number of pilots, especially in rural areas. After June 30, dragsters will be using the 3,400-foot-long concrete runway.

“It was a very hard decision for our council, but they decided, it’s just not working,” said Bradley Hanson, administrator of the western Iowa city, tucked between the Missouri River and scenic Loess Hills.

Many small towns have had airfields almost since the early barnstorming days and expanded them after World War II when military pilots returned home, ready to resume work but eager to keep flying. The number of pilots with private certificates peaked at 357,000 in 1980.

Since then, though, that number has nose-dived to 188,000, and hundreds of local airfields have been closing.

Interest has waned as planes became much more costly. New small planes that cost about $13,000 in the late 1960s now go for $250,000 or more, and owners also must pay more for specialized aviation fuel, liability insurance, maintenance and hangar space.

So few planes touched down at the airport in nearby Hartley, Iowa, that the small community tore up its runway in 2010 and leased it to a farmer who now grows corn on the 80 acres.

“Nobody was buying airplanes, so when the runway and hangers needed work, they decided to do away with it,” said Howard Orchard, the town’s unofficial historian.

Likewise, officials in the 6,000 person city of Hillsboro, Illinois, also found a more profitable use for their rarely used airfield. They sold it to a company mining coal.

“It was a hard pill to swallow for me to tell these guys we had to do away with it,” said Bill Baran, the mayor at the time, who broke the bad news to local flyers. Dozens of pilots had once used the field, but only two planes were still based there when officials agreed to sell it in 2008.

The pilot decline comes even as commercial aviation is drawing more passengers, with the industry expecting to see a record number of travelers this summer.

That success has come with a price, though, as the once-flashy image of flying has been tarnished by hectic airports, packed commercial jets and frequent delays. For many people, there remains little glamour in flying.

“Air travel is not nearly as interesting as it used to be,” said Tom Haines, a pilot since 1977 and editor with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

At many small, rural airfields, where decades ago farmers, small-business owners and blue collar workers joined flying clubs and gathered for family barbecues amid the roar of planes, it now can be pretty quiet.

While some general aviation airports in urban areas remain busy, others have “a little of a ghost town feel,” said Haines.

At Martin Field in South Sioux City, Nebraska, owner Gene Martin recalls when teenagers would bike out to the airfield and pay for flight lessons with money they earned from paper routes. Now, young people seem more interested in video games, Martin said.

The number of flight instructors at his field has fallen from 12 to three, and they’re not especially busy, he said.

Still, he’s turned down offers to sell his 130 acres to housing developers.

“We’re trying to hang in there,” said Martin, whose grandfather started the airfield in the 1930s.

With the number of public airports having dropped from 5,589 in 1990 to 5,155 in 2013, pilots have more trouble finding places to keep their planes.

When the Onawa airport closes, pilot Ed Weiner will move his airplane to a city 25 miles away. If properly developed, he believes the airfield would provide more economic benefit to the town than the drag strip will.

Weiner, 70, says more people would fly small planes if they knew what the experience was like.

“If you’ve never had it, you’ll never miss it,” he said. “It’s like trying to describe the taste of chocolate cake.”

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OP-ED: AB 1349 Puts Corporate Power Over Community

Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, ticket prices have jumped more than 150 percent. Activities that once fit a family’s budget now take significant disposable income that most working families simply don’t have. The problem is compounded by a system that has tilted access toward the wealthy and white-collar workers. If you have a fancy credit card, you get “presale access,” and if you work in an office instead of a warehouse, you might be able to wait in an online queue to buy a ticket. Access now means privilege.

Published

3 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

By Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

As a pastor, I believe in the power that a sense of community can have on improving people’s lives. Live events are one of the few places where people from different backgrounds and ages can share the same space and experience – where construction workers sit next to lawyers at a concert, and teenagers enjoy a basketball game with their grandparents. Yet, over the past decade, I’ve witnessed these experiences – the concerts, games, and cultural events where we gather – become increasingly unaffordable, and it is a shame.

These moments of connection matter as they form part of the fabric that holds communities together. But that fabric is fraying because of Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s unchecked control over access to live events. Unfortunately, AB 1349 would only further entrench their corporate power over our spaces.

Power over live events is concentrated in a single corporate entity, and this regime operates without transparency or accountability – much like a dictator. Ticketmaster controls 80 percent of first-sale tickets and nearly a third of resale tickets, but they still want more. More power, more control for Ticketmaster means higher prices and less access for consumers. It’s the agenda they are pushing nationally, with the help of former Trump political operatives, who are quietly trying to undo the antitrust lawsuit launched against Ticketmaster/Live Nation under President Biden’s DOJ.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about AB 1349 in its current form. Rather than reining in Ticketmaster’s power, the bill risks strengthening it, aligning with Trump. AB 1349 gives Ticketmaster the ability to control a consumer’s ticket forever by granting Ticketmaster’s regime new powers in state law to prevent consumers from reselling or giving away their tickets. It also creates new pathways for Ticketmaster to discriminate and retaliate against consumers who choose to shop around for the best service and fees on resale platforms that aren’t yet controlled by Ticketmaster. These provisions are anti-consumer and anti-democratic.

California has an opportunity to stand with consumers, to demand transparency, and to restore genuine competition in this industry. But that requires legislation developed with input from the community and faith leaders, not proposals backed by the very company causing the harm.

Will our laws reflect fairness, inclusion, and accountability? Or will we let corporate interests tighten their grip on spaces that should belong to everyone? I, for one, support the former and encourage the California Legislature to reject AB 1349 outright or amend it to remove any provisions that expand Ticketmaster’s control. I also urge community members to contact their representatives and advocate for accessible, inclusive live events for all Californians. Let’s work together to ensure these gathering spaces remain open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of income or background.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

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1 week ago

January 2, 2026

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Big God Ministry Gives Away Toys in Marin City

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grow up.

Published

2 weeks ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

From top left: Pastor David Hall asking the children what they want to be when they grow up. Worship team Jake Monaghan, Ruby Friedman, and Keri Carpenter. Children lining up to receive their presents. Photos by Godfrey Lee.

By Godfrey Lee

Big God Ministries, pastored by David Hall, gave toys to the children in Marin City on Monday, Dec. 15, on the lawn near the corner of Drake Avenue and Donahue Street.

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Around 75 parents and children were there to receive the presents, which consisted mainly of Gideon Bibles, Cat in the Hat pillows, Barbie dolls, Tonka trucks, and Lego building sets.

A half dozen volunteers from the Big God Ministry, including Donnie Roary, helped to set up the tables for the toy giveaway. The worship music was sung by Ruby Friedman, Keri Carpenter, and Jake Monaghan, who also played the accordion.

Big God Ministries meets on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA Their phone number is (415) 797-2567.