After an enjoyable week in Pennsylvania, it was finally time for me to head home to Indiana. As always, the camera was at the ready for a stop here or there to see the sites and airports, of course. Though it probably shouldn't be a surprise, it always strikes me how airfields tend to be centers of history. So what better place to start my journey to Indiana than from Pennsylvania's own Indiana, and specifically from their airport (KIDI), named for a historical figure in many facets of life.

While I was extremely pleased with the time out in the Pennsylvania valleys at the missions conference, eventually I had to come back to home and hearth, and a paycheck. So I made the short jaunt down to Indiana, PA, to officially start my trip home. If you know of Indiana, Pennsylvania, you likely know that the airport is named after their hometown hero, James "Jimmy" Stewart. You're probably all thinking of the holiday classic that will be playing on televisions across the USA in a few weeks. But "It's a Wonderful Life" is just the tip of the iceberg.

Jimmy Stewart was the star of the screen, playing everything from a business person, to the rugged cowboy, to a SAC pilot. But that wasn't all acting. Stewart was a real-life pilot. Before my trip, I heard that the Experimental Aviation Association's Chapter 993 was restoring and displaying a Cessna 310 that belonged to Jimmy Stewart. Perhaps I get a little too excited by the details. But this was a real work of art, with a lot of thought and engineering going into the display. Imagine my surprise when the airplane started to move as I lined up for a photo! As the breeze picked up, the airplane pointed its nose into the wind, and the props began to spin. I'm told that solar panels are charging batteries for the nav and anti-collision lights, so it keeps up the display at night.

A display at the Jimmy Stewart airport holds some memorabilia from his military service. Down the road a pace, you can learn much more about Stewart's life, career, and military service. There is a museum dedicated to the hometown hero in downtown Indiana, aptly named The Jimmy Stewart Museum. Parking is available on the streets if you have change for the meters, or in the local parking garage, which is nearby. The airport has rental cars available, and taxis and Uber operate in the area. The kind folks at the airport will be happy to help get you where you need to be. The museum offers matinees of Jimmy Stewart movies, with the movie schedule available on their website https://jimmy.org/museum-events/matinees/. They also have a store where you can purchase a copy of the poster and have Jimmy stare down any ne'er do wells coming through your door.

From Indiana, PA, I made my way to the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport (KBTP). I had heard of the High Flight Academy while searching for flight training schools in Pennsylvania. Surprisingly, I was searching for schools near KUNV. Surprising because High Flight is nearly two hours away from State College by air! It was certainly worth the trip. The folks at High Flight Academy were a joy to talk with, and they have several aircraft to keep students flying and a full-motion simulator with multi-engine controls. There seemed to be a helicopter theme the day I showed up. An Apache was on static display outside of the on-field restaurant, Serventi's On The Runway. There were also a couple of Life Flight helicopters on the field, one being a slightly less static display than the Apache, although at roughly the same altitude.

My next stop was Akron, Ohio. I had stopped here on the way out to Pennsylvania, but I had to see something on my return trip. For years I've had a fascination with airships. So I had to see such an iconic site since I was passing by Akron-Fulton Airport (KAKR). This giant hangar was built in 1929 and used to manufacture airships for the US Navy, like the Akron and Macon. Now that Lockheed Martin owns the airship hangar, it is once again producing valuable military equipment. Of course, that means tours are strictly off-limits. But seeing this massive construct from the air or the ground is impressive, even if you can't step inside. If you're flying this way, a stop at KAKR will not disappoint. Come see the airship hangar that is still producing lighter than air recon ships 91 years after the hangar was built.

Goodyear had a couple of lighter than air hangars around the Akron area. This one may look like the Airdock, but the scale is quite different. Even still, when you come down over the hill, and this hangar grabs your attention, you wouldn't think it small. This is one of three airship bases around the country from which Goodyear operates their fleet of blimps. The folks at the civilian blimp location are much more open, and while there are plenty of no trespassing signs, there is a visitor observation area. You are also able to get tours of the hangar for educational groups. There is a historical marker on the site near the main entrance that tells a concise history of the hangar since its original construction back in 1917. Check out the Goodyear website to see the blimp schedule and to get information on requesting a tour. https://www.goodyearblimp.com/behind-the-scenes/airship-bases.html

All airports have their history; some are just more local history. But it's that local history that can make all the difference in the lives of the next generation of pilots. I made a little detour to Bluffton, Ohio, on my way home from Indiana, Pennsylvania. While there, I was intrigued by a smaller airport with the name of Dottie J. Anderson emblazoned on the terminal building big enough to see from pattern altitude. It turns out that Dorothy Anderson was a local girl who grew up, learned to fly, and built her own Pitts Special. She competed in 32 Air Race Classics, was a member of the 99's, AOPA, and the EAA, and became a Flight Examiner. Maybe more of us would have heard of her if she had accepted the invitation to take astronaut training. But I have little doubt that her name on the building and her legacy in the Bluffton area continues to encourage young women to become pilots. And hopefully, her legacy will encourage many more for many years to come. Oh, and the reason she turned down the astronaut training? Dottie's airport needed her.

I had finally made it back home to Indiana. The tour through Pennsylvania and across Ohio's formidable width was behind me, and I was due a visit to my home turf. One of the local pilots at Smith Field (KSMD) told me that a plaque had been set up along the walking trail east of the airport, telling the airfield's history. After taking a look at the story, it was interesting that the buildings I always thought of as old were relatively young. The historic and aptly named second hangar built, Hangar 2, was built a year after Lockheed now owns the Goodyear Airdock. And the Clark Smith designed Carousel Hangar was patented in 1968, making it one of the newer buildings on the east side of the airport. But with its flight training and military use since 1923, Smith Field still certainly has a lot of history to tell us.

With all of the history linked to just these few airports and balloon ports, you can imagine what there is to learn at the airports in your region. The next time you're taking a cross country trip, think twice about tapping Direct, Enter, Enter on your Garmin. There might be a little piece of history just off that magenta line. So in honor of the historic aviators, practice a little pilotage instead of auto-pilotage, and make an extra stop or two along the way. It wouldn't hurt to have more landing practice anyway... or an extra bathroom stop.