Hidden in the corridor of Industrial Parkway lies one
of Marysville’s most important attributes, The Union County airport. It’s been
around for 49 years, but the opportunities that
it’s runway brings are often overlooked.
The first and foremost duty the airport upholds is providing
ease of access for the abundant businesses Marysville provides a home for. The
airport becomes an important tool for companies that fuel our cities and
surrounding areas economy like Honda, Scott’s Miracle Gro, Roof Management,
Tech Site, Kahler Automation, Meijer, and Rural King.
Not only do they provide vital assistance to business,
they also provide open arms to anyone interested in learning to fly themselves.
I had the privilege to interview 3 young pilots who have amazing stories about
how they learned to fly at our very own, Union County airport.
Cameron Ward, 19
years old; 19 year resident
Cameron’s father took him and his brother out to the
airport regularly during their childhood. Eventually one summer, he took the
leap and asked the then manager of the airport, “Hey do you guys need a line
service guy out here?” It was perfect timing and Cameron was able to hop right
in. This essentially led to Cameron’s passion for aviation, “I don’t think I
would have ever been interested in flying without the Union County airport. I
love this airport because everyone knows each other. A big airport would be a
lot less personal, it’s a real tight knit community and even the surrounding
airports are nice and friendly. If the airport wasn’t here, I wouldn’t have one
of the most important aspects of my life, aviation.”
 |
| Cameron and one of his Young Eagles |
Cameron also volunteers for an experimental aviation
program called Young Eagles. The purpose of the program is to get young people
inspired about aviation. Cameron talked about his first experience taking a
Young Eagle up in Marysville, “My first Young Eagle I took up was very shy. I
would point out landmarks and say things like, ‘Hey, there’s Honda,” after a
while he started to relax and that’s when you know you are doing a good job
flying. He started talking about how his brother was in the Air Force and how
he wanted to go into aviation when he was older. It’s a really fun experience.”
Young Eagles is a way to inspire a new generation of
pilots, to give them that first step in getting their pilot licenses and you
can do it right here in Marysville!
Cameron talked about what it feels like to be up in the
air, “There’s a feeling all pilots get when you realize that you literally
aren’t on Earth anymore. If you go for it and commit to it, then it totally
pays off.”
Kelsie Smith, 23
years old; 23 year Resident
Kelsie was deathly terrified of flying, but she had to
hop right in when her mother bought her an introductory flight lesson for her
18th birthday. She went up with a flight instructor and he let her take the
controls, “I had a death grip, I was convinced the plane was going to crash if
I let go. He told me, ‘Take your hands off, Kelsie.’ I didn’t want to, but he
kept assuring me it would be fine. When I took my hands off and I saw the
airplane was still flying, I fell in love with aviation. Once you see how
everything works, the fear goes away.”
 |
| Kelsie and a Lear Jet 35 |
Kelsie started out as a flight instructor and taught
people how to fly over the course of 2 years. She is now a commercial pilot and
flies twin engines and Lear jets all over the United States and Canada. She
found her connection at our very own, Fiesta Grande, “I walked into a
restaurant my sister works at, Fiesta Grande and I met someone who gave me my
current bosses phone number and told me to call him. I called and now I have a dream job.”
As a flight instructor, Kelsie knows what it takes to
become a pilot, “It takes 40 hours of instruction to fly an airplane. They’ll
work with you on the ground, teach you everything you need to know and then
take you up. Eventually, they will even let you practice by yourself.”
Kelsie has been to airports all over the nation but
what she loves about the Union County airport is the community, “My favorite
thing about the Union County airport is the homey feel. Everyone is very nice,
everybody knows everybody, and they are willing to help you. You feel like you
are part of a family at that airport.”
Kelsie, being a ballet dancer for 15 years, described
flying as the equivalent of dancing in the sky. She wants young pilots to know,
“It’s not as hard as you think it is. It does take dedication, time and money,
but it’s totally worth it. Go for it, take an introductory flight, it’s
relatively cheap. You can see how awesome flying really is, you get to see
things you don’t see every day, the sunset reflecting off the clouds, shooting
stars, the satellite, thunderstorms, clouds rolling with lightning; you have to
experience it for yourself.”
Chris Ward, 21
years old; 20 year resident
When Chris was in high school, he could hear the
homecoming football game from his house, all of the thumping and the music of
football Friday nights, but he wasn’t interested in going. He dubs this as the
moment he decided he was going to learn to fly, “I thought there had to be
something bigger to do. That’s when I started flight training, there’s so much
out there to do. But kids get caught up in popularity, hanging out and
partying. Youth is your secret weapon. It’s nice to come out of high school
with something that puts you ahead of the game. The Union County airport gave
me something to set myself apart from everyone else, it gave me that leverage.”
 |
| Chris took me up for a ride! It was a great experience! |
Chris wasn’t a ballet dancer when he was growing up so
he has a different take on being up in the air, “It’s very freeing. I’m a
technical person, so my favorite part is taking off and landing. I feel engaged
and it’s just so freeing that I can point the plane in any direction and just
be places like New York or California. On the right kind of day in Marysville,
you can see Columbus or the hills of Southern Ohio. Flying just makes you
realize how small you are compared to the rest of the world.”
Cameron, Kelsie, and Chris could all agree that their
favorite thing about the Union County Airport is the community, “I really like
the community atmosphere of the Union County Airport because when you go out
there it’s not like a commercial airport. It’s so accessible and you get to
experience the joys of flying. It’s an aviation family and we like to say at
our airport, ‘A mile of road takes you a mile, but a mile of runway takes you
anywhere.’”
Chris’s advice for young pilots is, “Just try it, you
might like it. It’s not for everyone, but it’s probably for a lot more people
than are doing it. Once you realize that pilots are people and it’s a
completely legitimate career. The industry is booming. There is so much
opportunity, especially for young pilots. Flying is beautiful because you’re
the author of your own destiny.”
The Union County Airport gave Chris the opportunity to
carve his own path, separate himself from others, and allow him to become
himself.
If you are interested in learning to fly, the Union County
Airport offers flight instruction with their partner, Spencer Aviation. See flyspenceraviation.com
for details. You can also contact their
office at (937) 644-2055 or visit the webpage skyvistaaviation.com
 |
| This what Marysville looks like from up above! |
And of course, it would only be natural for the airport
to provide ridiculous amounts of fun for the community. Their major event is
one near and dear to all community members’ hearts, the All Ohio Balloon
Festival. They are planning to have smaller events such as a 1940's themed
hangar dance and a fly in pancake breakfast.
Dave Holden, one of the owners of the Union County Airport
would like community members to know, that this is the community's airport.
They welcome everyone to come out and see what a great aviation community we
have. Everyone is welcome, even if it’s just to sit under the awning and watch
the aircraft fly.
Thank you, Union County Airport for making Marysville more
than just a town 45 minutes northwest of Columbus!
The Bowling Alley does not hesitate to get involved in
our community. They’ll let any kind of organization host a fundraiser, they’ve
had sports teams, girl scout troops, and schools raise money at the lanes. During the Christmas season they have a food drive
for the Marysville Food Pantry, in April they host “Bowl for Kids Sake”
through the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, and they also collect Walmart and
Kroger grocery bags to give them to the homeless shelter in the Columbus to
knit beds. They are really neat! 
