By Penny Rafferty Hamilton, AOPA Airport Support Network Volunteer for KGNB.
The Colorado bluebird sky and abundant sunshine with a light wind straight down the runway had all of our volunteers at Granby/Grand County Airport (KGNB) in Colorado in Rocky Mountain high spirits for the 2022 pancake breakfast and fly-in July 2.
As I briskly walked from the Emily Warner Field Aviation Museum to the packed hangar for pancakes and silent auction shopping on the 12 tables filled with donated items and gift certificates, my mind flashed to the Kevin Costner classic film “Field of Dreams.” Remember the line, “If you build it, they will come?”
It struck me that my community was thrilled to be invited to their airport to enjoy the upbeat atmosphere and watch 52 general aviation airplanes land and takeoff. Plus, they could allow their children to actually touch a real airplane and talk to a pilot.
The high and imposing metal airport security gate was thrown open. The Civil Air Patrol cadets and other volunteers greeted the steady flow of cars as they passed to the secure parking area.
As I walked around the airport, I passed a young family enjoying their outdoor breakfast. The young child told his mom that these were the best pancakes he ever had in his whole life — all five years of it.
We invited local reporters and gave them a free pancake breakfast as well. They did not mention if the pancakes were the best they ever ate, but I spied one returning for seconds.
About 2,000 people of all ages lined the taxiway. Some people even brought lawn chairs to enjoy seeing the many colorful airplanes in the taxiway parade. Children were literally jumping for joy and waving to the pilots and passengers as another airplane would pass them.
Those pilots and passengers must have felt like royalty at the Queen’s recent Platinum Jubilee!
After 1,300 pancake breakfasts were cooked, the last plane took off, and enough scholarship money was raised to send eight students to the EAA Air Academy and give four higher education aviation scholarships for aviation maintenance and aerospace engineering, our volunteers were tired — but thrilled — with the successful event.
Yes, it did take months of planning, but we are already planning for our 2023 community pancake breakfast and fly-in.