There are 137 public-use airports in Kansas and Kent and Cindy Stone
decided to visit all of them.
On Friday, March 10, as their plane landed at the Philip Billard Municipal Airport in Topeka, they accomplished their goal with a total of 12 days of flying under their wings.
On Friday, March 10, as their plane landed at the Philip Billard Municipal Airport in Topeka, they accomplished their goal with a total of 12 days of flying under their wings.
 |
| Cindy and Kent Stone were honored with a certificate of merit from Kansas Department of Transportation Division of Aviation for visiting all 137 public-use airports. |
The couple began their flight in December and according to
their Facebook page, they had visited all 52 airports in Western Kansas in just
four days.
“Boredom got us going,” Kent said. He and his wife kept flying their renovated Beechcraft E33 Bonanza to the rest of the public-use airports in Kansas.
Although the couple took a break for a few weeks, they started up again early last month. Their arrival in Topeka ended their saga and earned them a certificate of merit from the KDOT Division of Aviation and the compliments of Aviation Director Merrill Atwater.
“Kent and Cindy show how passion fuels aviation,” Atwater said. “They exemplify for anyone that aviation has something for everyone.”
“Boredom got us going,” Kent said. He and his wife kept flying their renovated Beechcraft E33 Bonanza to the rest of the public-use airports in Kansas.
Although the couple took a break for a few weeks, they started up again early last month. Their arrival in Topeka ended their saga and earned them a certificate of merit from the KDOT Division of Aviation and the compliments of Aviation Director Merrill Atwater.
“Kent and Cindy show how passion fuels aviation,” Atwater said. “They exemplify for anyone that aviation has something for everyone.”
 |
| Kent Stone (middle) shows off his well-earned certificate with representatives of KDOT Division of Aviation: Dennis O'Connor (right) and Lindsey Dreiling. (left) |
After visiting 137 airports, the Stones said they still found
something new each time they landed.
“Every airport has a story to tell or an experience to be enjoyed,” Kent said.
“Every airport has a story to tell or an experience to be enjoyed,” Kent said.
Their endeavor may have had a turbulent start over thirty years ago when the couple bought their Beechcraft E33 Bonanza.
“There was a long interval of engine troubles after buying the
plane in 1986,” Kent said. “It kept cutting in and out after (doing) virtually
everything to fix it. I had three choices: Hanger it, sell it, or start over
and restore it.”
It would appear that they made the correct choice.
 |
| This image from Kent and Cindy's Facebook page shows all 137 airports they visited. |
For more information on their journey check out their Facebook
page.
https://www.facebook.com/flykansas138/
No comments:
Post a Comment