Annual Great Plains Wing fly-in breakfast celebrates aviation history, city airport

“It’s our way to reach out to the community, to open the airport up to the community, to make people aware that we actually have an airport in Council Bluffs,” said Jeff Hutchinson, an event organizer. “We’ve got an awesome museum here in the hanger.”

The wing has been based at the airport since about 1986 and has invited the community to come visit its hanger for the past 25 years, Hutchinson said.

Saturday morning’s foggy weather suppressed air travel to the event, with only a few airplanes flying or taxiing in as of mid-morning.

“Our community turnout has been awesome so far,” Hutchinson said. “We like to see people who have never been here before come out to the airport. It makes us feel good, and we’re kind of like the best kept secret in southwest Iowa — that there’s actually an airport here in town. It is the third busiest airport in Iowa at this point.”

The Great Plains Wing of the Commemorative Air Force brings together people to honor the aviation history of the U.S. military. There are 58 wings of the organization nationally.

The group repairs, maintains and restores historical airplanes, including two that are currently being rebuilt. The open house provides a chance for those interested to meet members and learn how to become involved.

“These people were flying basically wooden skeletons,” Hutchinson said. “We went to war in these airplanes. So part of the mission of the Commemorative Air Force is to restore, maintain and fly these aircraft so people don’t forget the importance of aviation to our history and to our military history.”