by Dave Weiman
Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine October/November 2023 Digital Issue
Wouldn’t you know it… the one day I had to miss flying to Iola, Wisconsin for lunch, they were serving my favorite – fried chicken and mash potatoes. Actually, I’m lucky if I can fly there more than a half-dozen times each year, but whenever I do, the food is excellent, and the pilot camaraderie could not be better.
Iola is grassroots flying at its best! Located near the rural central Wisconsin town of Iola in beautiful Waupaca County, Central County Airport-Paul Johns Field (68C) is a haven for recreational flying and sport aviation fellowship.
Wisconsin is blessed with many fine airport restaurants, and for the most part, landing and taking off from these airports is no problem. But one needs to get an early start to fly into Central County Airport for its once-a-week Friday noon lunch. Yes, unlike other airport restaurants, Central County Airport is only open for lunch on Fridays, and only during warmer months.
According to Robert Booty of the Central County Flyers Association, “it’s no longer so much ‘year-around’ as it used to be back prior to 2019. For the last couple years now, it’s settled into a season from the first Friday in May to the last Friday before Thanksgiving.” When in doubt, it is best to check the website which features its weekly menu: https://centralcountyflyers.org/.
Local pilot Bill Kinsman (another great guy) is responsible for membership and the cash box. You must be a member of the association to eat there, due to state food service regulations. Money raised goes to maintain the private airport for the two dozen or so aircraft based there.
But membership is only $10.00, payable at the door, and is good for a lifetime! The only requirement to membership is that you must be a proponent of General Aviation. Members receive a membership card to make it official.
You are urged to monitor 122.9 MHz well in advance of entering the traffic pattern to the active runway.
Iola has several grass runways: 05/23 (60 X 2493 ft), 09/27 (40 X 1783 ft), and 12/30 (130 X 1725 ft). The airport elevation is 882 feet MSL.
Refer to the Green Bay Sectional, Wisconsin Airport Directory, and ForeFlight for additional information.
Just beware of the trees that surround the airport, as well as aircraft parked near inactive runways. It’s not unusual to see 25-50 aircraft at the airport at any one time.
Since Iola is home for one of the largest antique car shows and swap meets in the country, featuring as many as 2500 show cars each July, the airport attracts its fair share of collector vehicles on Fridays too, which complement the old aircraft that show up for lunch. The airport provides shuttle service to the “Iola Old Car Show” to be held July 11-13, 2024. Breakfast is also served at the airport on those special days (https://www.iolaoldcarshow.com/).
The airstrip is ideal for taildraggers and okay for tricycle Cessnas. Not ideal for high-powered retractables, or any aircraft loaded with lots of passengers.
While there, get into a conversation with fellow visitors, and the volunteers behind the counter, and you will find people from every walk of life including retired airline and corporate pilots, and a pilot who flew F-4 Phantoms in Southeast Asia.
The hero of the field was Paul Johns, who celebrated his 104th birthday at a Friday lunch on October 13, 2017, at the airport named in his honor.
Paul, who everyone loved and greatly admired, was born on October 11, 1913. He flew a Boeing 314A Clipper for Pan Am during World War II. Some 57 airplanes and 200 people came out to celebrate Paul’s birthday, at which time he expressed his gratitude to everyone. Paul Johns passed away on March 28, 2018. For a complete story on Paul Johns, go to https://midwestflyer.com/?p=11293.
Status means nothing at Iola, unless you were Paul Johns. Everyone wanted their picture taken with Paul.
When you fly in for lunch, plan to stand in line with as many as 200 other people, to pay for your meal and to work your way through the buffet line.
After lunch, return to the buffet and get dessert and a hot cup of coffee!
Lunch is served at 12:00 noon sharp, but you are urged to come early and watch arrivals, or to just hang out by the stone fireplace.
To coincide with inflation, there was a price increase in 2023. Lunch is now $12 per person (a $2.00 increase), and tips are much appreciated and deserving for the all-volunteer cooks and servers, who are responsible for the feast.
