At Poplar Bluff Regional Business Airport, all eyes were fixed on the sky. For the hours leading up to the eclipse’s grand finale, millions of dollars worth of aircraft landed in a seemingly unending procession.
Sizes ranged from single-seater Cessnas to triple-engine private jets. As an added bonus, Skydive St. Louis performed two jumps, one a few hours before the eclipse and one right at the moment of totality.
Jake Strain, the owner of Skydive St. Louis, chose Poplar Bluff’s airport for the once-in-a-lifetime jump due to favorable weather and positive interactions with the director, Gary Pride.
“We called other airports and Gary was the friendliest guy,” he said.
Pride said there were a total of 75 aircraft in town for the event. He stated three of the larger aircraft with reservations diverted to other airports at the last minute, unfortunately taking many spots away from smaller planes.
On a normal weekend, Pride said the facility sells $5,000 worth of fuel. On the day of the eclipse, the airport sold over $25,000.
Pride confirmed, while there was no shortage, “We had just enough.”
A married couple named Ann Walker and Arlo Reeves flew in all the way from Mendocino, California, in a GlaStar kit plane.
Reeves built it himself nearly 21 years ago. He said it took him five-and-a-half years to complete.
“I was making paper airplanes as a kid and making models,” Reeves recalled and said flying has always been a bucket list item.
Regarding the airport and staff, Walker said, “They’ve been really great.”
Also among the arrivals was Steven Grose, an aerobatic pilot from Springfield, Missouri. Now 67, he has been taking to the skies since he was 16.
“Normally I’m upside down more than right side up,” Grose joked about his Pitts Special biplane.
While he used to fly in aerobatic troops, he prefers to do solo acts now.
Sharon and Jerry Ebke made the trek from Fairbury, Nebraska, in a Zenith kit plane. Jerry said it took him over seven years to build. He earned his pilot license as he built his aircraft.
After having done a few kit cars, he said, “This was more fun.”
“We just enjoy flying around together,” Sharon affirmed.
Their hometown in Nebraska was in the path of totality for the 2017 eclipse.
Taking up large chunks of real estate on the tarmac were two Dassault Falcons and a Gulfstream G500. According to the FAA, the Gulfstream is registered to MJ Enterprises in Springfield, a company that specializes in chrome plating.
One of the Falcons came in from Madison, Wisconsin, and is registered to the Twenty Cent Capital hedge fund. The other Falcon was from Houston, Texas, on behalf of Burnt Orange Consulting.
“Everything went really smooth,” Pride said.
He confirmed the pilots praised the airport’s staff and organization.
“We go out of our way to be friendly,” Pride concluded.
At the moment of totality, the airport was covered in darkness and the grateful cheers of pilots and passengers from all over the country.
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