Jul. 18—Most pilots fly to get from Point A to Point B, but David Steed flies his Cessna 182 Skylane just to get up in the air.

Steed and his grandson, Weston Carter, flew from Oklahoma City to Enid Woodring Regional Airport on Saturday morning for breakfast at Barnstormers during the airport's monthly fly-in.

"It's exhilarating for me every single time I get in and go up," Steed said. "I've had this airplane for 31 years, and it never gets old. ... I like to be in control, and that's why I would rather fly this plane and take all day to get to Florida than to fly Southwest (Airlines) and get there in two hours."

On the third Saturday of every month, from January to October, Woodring welcomes pilots flying into the airport from across the region for an $8, all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast at its restaurant, Barnstormers.

Visitors to the airport, at 1026 S. 66th, go outside to watch aircraft arrive and depart throughout the morning. Barnstormers also has several large windows that allow those eating to see it all from inside, and there are a couple of picnic tables outdoors for a closer view.

Around 10 aircraft flew in on Saturday morning, said Davis Bunn, operations manager at Woodring, and dozens of local residents turned out, as well.

The number of aircraft and visitors for the fly-ins depends on the weather, not including traffic from Vance Air Force Base.

But typically, Bunn said, about 10 or 15 aircraft fly in each time for a "$100 hamburger" — aviation slang for a general aviation pilot needing an excuse to fly.

Shelly Anderson brought her 11-year-old son, Creeden Anderson, to watch the aircraft for the first time Saturday.

The Andersons met Cheris Benningfield and her 6-year-old grandson Karston Edwards. The kids played together outside, pretending to be pilots themselves, as the women sat at the same table, chatting and watching the airplanes.

"I knew Creeden is really interested in airplanes and stuff, but he was naming off all these airplanes and what they did, and I was like, 'How do you know all that?'" Anderson said. "It was really neat to watch him explain to me what each of the aircrafts did, and of course, to meet new friends."

Creeden Anderson, who wants to go to more fly-ins, has dreams of being a pilot in the military when he gets older, and he enjoyed his time at the airport on Saturday.

"I had fun," he said. "I just want to serve in the military and keep our world safe."

Airport Director Keston Cook said the fly-ins give kids like Karston and Creeden a chance to see airplanes up close.

"It's a good way to get kids out here and get them interested in aviation mechanics — the first taste of being around airplanes," he said.

On average, about 300-500 aircraft (again, not including Vance AFB) fly into Woodring each month, Cook said, adding that Barnstormers usually fills up during the fly-in breakfast.

Restaurant owner Jamie Fournier said she's gotten to know some of the pilots who fly in regularly, which is one of the best parts for her.

"Everything's the best thing because of the people," Fournier said.

Barnstormers is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, as well as during the fly-ins.

Though Bunn said he wasn't sure when they began, he said involving the Enid community is why the fly-ins have continued.

"Sometimes, people might forget that we're here, but it's always good to invite the community out and have everybody out here to look at planes or share their passion for aviation," he said. "It's a really cool way for tenants to show off their planes and be able to talk to even more people and spread the word."

Kelci McKendrick is police and court reporter for the Enid News & Eagle.

Have a question about this story? Do you see something we missed? Do you have a story idea for Kelci? Send an email to [email protected].

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