Penn Valley Airport invites public to tour aircraft

Marcia Moore, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·2 min read

Jun. 6—SELINSGROVE — Seven-year-old Riley MacDonald spent some of her time at the Penn Valley Airport open house Saturday sitting on a commercial lawn mower.

"How do you move this?" the girl asked her mother, Jennifer MacDonald, of Turbotville, as her older sister, Jillian, 9, looked on.

There was plenty to keep visitors of all ages occupied at the event, Jennifer MacDonald said.

"It's fantastic. They have an assortment of vehicles, helicopter rides, pilots with planes answering questions," she said. "This is great for curious kiddos and adults."

One youngster asked if there was a gift shop as he walked inside the airport office at 100 Airport Road in Monroe Township.

Pilot Jeff Maurer, of Catawissa, entertained the crowd by flying his red, aerobatic, 300-horsepower Pitts S2C aircraft above the airport grounds.

"It's fun," said Maurer who has been flying for 20 years, encouraged by watching his father work as a private pilot.

"Maybe I'll fly," whispered Joe Van Buskirk, of Shamokin Dam, as he checked out the interior of Maurer's plane. "I'd get in anything here today, but a lot of people have never flown before."

Several people paid for plane rides offered by local pilot Garrett Hupp while others just enjoyed an opportunity to sit in the cockpit of a grounded aircraft and ask questions of pilots.

Denise Debo brought her two young children, Augustine Bernadette Debo and Myla Barley.

"The kids love planes and helicopters," she said as they each had a chance to tour the many aircraft that included a Geisinger Life Flight plane; a vintage DC-3 military transport plane and state police helicopter.

Bruce Witkop, chairman of the Penn Valley Airport Authority, said the event was a chance to educate the public about the importance of a local airport.

"Our mission is to serve the community," he said.

The authority received a $100,000 boost from the Greater Susquehanna Business Development Council on Saturday to help cover the cost of a new six-unit hangar for single and twin-engine planes.

Witkop estimates the new hangar will cost between $300,000 and $400,000.

"We're running out of space," he said.

There are presently 37 aircraft based at the airport, including LifeFlight and several commercial planes owned by local companies, and there is a waiting list.

A longterm goal for Penn Valley Airport is to accommodate large airplanes, such as jet and turbo prop aircraft, with a $2 million expansion.

The airport is financially supported by only a few of its nine county and municipal owners who contribute about $22,000 a year for its operations, with Snyder and Union contributing the most, Witkop said.