Flight Training - November 2013 - 25

relief when we spotted it. The challenge
was amplified in wintertime, when snow
camouflaged the lake among surrounding
farm fields.
But Galt was deteriorating. Arriving
from Scottsdale in a retractable-gear
Cessna, we were forced to park in tall
grass. Over our two-day visit, birds nested
in the engine cowl, gear wells, and tail
cone. I engaged a mechanic to help disassemble and clean it all out.
In my memory, Galt Field remains
a narrow country airstrip, with an
encroaching hangar, tall-grass tiedowns,
and a friendly red-flannel-shirted bunch
working the office. Our many family
adventures made me sad to see it go.
But Galt’s story wasn’t over. Reading
Galt Traffic each month, I learned that,
although imperiled, the airport now was
far more vibrant than when Jean and I
frequented the place.
“We have some unbelievably exciting
news to report...” Cleland wrote one year
after the bankruptcy. “Galt’s very own
Claude and Diane Sonday purchased our
airport at auction Thursday, June 20.” I
phoned around to divine what alchemy
saved this airport when so many others
fail. I learned about the recent hangars,
runway extension and widening to 50 feet,
taxiway improvements, concert pavilion,
and stocked fishing pond and rental cabin.
“Galt is the coolest airport around!”
gushed pilot Howie Stock. “Anyone who
likes flying would be blessed to find such
an airport. Everyone here from flight
students to airline pilots loves aviation,
and all do ‘their thing’: from radio-controlled airplanes, to aerobatics, and tons
of antique aircraft. There are no cliques;
whatever’s happening, ‘stop on by!’”
“Go out on any day, and you’ll find open
hangars and people grilling,” said Mooney
owner Eric Rehm. “When Justin took

over as general manager and chief flight
instructor, and Brian Spiro as director of
maintenance, they proved to be friendly,
trustworthy, tireless workers who quickly
became ‘the face of Galt,’ winning people
over. To lure people to the airport they
formed FOG (Friends of Galt) with the
local EAA chapter, and began hosting
monthly events. These included non-aviation activities such as Murder Mystery
night and a Hawaiian luau to engage nonpilot spouses, meeting people, and having
a good time. Four years later Justin and
Brian are beloved by everyone, and pilots
are relocating here from other airports.”
Fifty years ago at age 16, Claude Sonday
bought his first airplane for $825—a Piper
Cub. He still owns it. Says Sonday, “Purchasing the airport is a social thing for us.
Diane and I really like the generosity and
volunteerism of the people. And buying
Galt preserves something. We hope to
make it last as long as people fly.” Sonday
commutes by air to his Harley-Davidson
dealership in Dekalb. His motorcycle
career has taught him that “people are
always looking for neat things to do. Along
with expanding and improving our flight
training and rental offerings, I’m always
seeking new ideas.”
If Galt Field was still the way Jean and
I remember it, no one would have bought
it. You might call it the Dark Ages versus
the Renaissance. It’s one thing to abandon
decaying pavement, but quite another to
abandon a growing community. Next time
you fly northern Illinois, drop by, shake
some friendly hands, and invest in a little
fuel. Because this little airport is far from
dead.
Greg Brown is an aviation author, photographer,
and former National Flight Instructor of the Year.
Visit his website (www.gregbrownflyingcarpet.
com).

TRAVEL LOG: GALT FIELD (10C)
Runways: 9/27, 2,802-by-36
feet, asphalt; 18/36, 2,141-by125 feet, turf, grass, sod

Elevation: 875 feet
Location: One mile north of
Greenwood/Wonder Lake

Extra: Galt’s history is
detailed in One Zero Charlie:
Adventures in Grass Roots
Aviation, by Laurence
Gonzales

NOVEMBER 2013 FLIGHT TRAINING

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