Interesting Newspaper Article

From the Thursday, Jan 29, 2004 Columbus DISPATCH...

IN ESSENCE

Hungry pilots happy to fly a long way for a good burger

Thursday, January 29, 2004

MIKE HARDEN



When Brad Willette tells his aviation buddies, ŒŒI¹m going out for a
$100 hamburger," they know he isn¹t heading across the street to
McDonald¹s.

ŒŒIt¹s just an expression in the aviation business," said Willette, an
aircraft sales manager at Lane Aviation and a flier since age 16.

A Columbus pilot seeking a $100 hamburger might have his sights set on
Indiana or Pennsylvania.

The price of ground round doesn¹t make the price high; the aviation
fuel does.

ŒŒMy grandchildren love to go with Pop in the plane for breakfast,"
said John Parsio, a Galena pilot.

He has flown as far as Greensboro, N.C., for Sunday breakfast.

ŒŒSometimes," he said, ŒŒyou just need an excuse to fly your plane for
pleasure."

Until recently, no comprehensive guide existed to direct pilots to the
best fly-in dining spots. Wisdom on good eateries or bad was passed
from one pilot to another in much the same manner that truckers share
road-food experiences.

In 1996, Chicago pilot John Purner launched www.100
dollarhamburger.com, listing eight places where fliers could find a
decent burger. He appealed to others for input. Within 90 days, he had
suggestions for eateries in 50 states and 17 other countries.

Today, The $100 Hamburger: A Guide to Pilots¹ Fly-in Restaurants packs
information on hundreds of airports within and outside the United
States, along with meal recommendations.

The Web site lists three dozen Ohio airports and adjacent dining spots.

Sue Mitchell, proprietor of the Vinton County bed-and-breakfast
Ravenwood Castle, is pleased that her restaurant notched a ŒŒ5-burger"
rating.

ŒŒPeople come in for breakfast or lunch," Mitchell said of her
establishment a half-mile from Vinton County Airport.

ŒŒWe can usually hear them when they come in. We¹ll drive over to the
airport and pick them up."

In a medieval motif, they breakfast on Royal Hash and lunch on
Coronation Chicken.

ŒŒWe had somebody from Texas who flew in last summer and stayed three
days," Mitchell recalled.

Not long ago, she bought a Plymouth Breeze for use as a loaner to
pilots who want to take in the McArthur-area countryside.

The small airport in Vinton County hosts several events during the year
‹ from pig roasts to fish fries ‹ in hopes of attracting pilots.

Nick Rupert, a pilot and supervisor of Vinton County Airport, has
frequently set out in search of great meals in distant places. ŒŒI have
flown to Norfolk, Va.," he said. ŒŒThere is a restaurant there called
the Pier." ŒŒOver at the Urbana airport is a great greasy spoon,"
Willette said of one of his top fly-in sites. ŒŒPortsmouth, Ohio,"
Parsio recommended: ŒŒgood pies, good southern Ohio cooking." He had
similar praise for Mansfield¹s Flying Turtle. Rupert sometimes flies
from Vinton County to Cleveland for Sunday breakfast. ŒŒHornblowers ‹
it¹s a restaurant on a barge," he explained. Rupert has flown as far as
Carrollton just for dessert. ŒŒKiller apple pie," he praised.

The Barnstormer Restaurant at Columbus¹ Don Scott Field sometimes has
standing room only on Saturday when pilots from the Midwest (who
jokingly call themselves the ŒŒlunchwaffe") take to the skies.

Rupert noted one drawback to the $100 hamburger: A storm front can
drive the cost even higher.

ŒŒFly in, and a thunderstorm moves in," he said. ŒŒYou either have to
get a hotel room, rent a car or call one of your family members to come
get you.

ŒŒThen it gets really expensive."

Mike Harden is a Dispatch columnist.
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