If you followed your nose Saturday morning at the New Richmond Regional Airport, it would have led you into the main business hangar where members of VFW Post 10818 were flipping pancakes and grilling sausages to serve up with bacon and scrambled eggs. 

More than 400 people took advantage of the breakfast opportunity before making their way around the airport to view more than 70 vintage cars and 28 aircraft. 

It was a perfect morning for the second annual Fly-in and Car Show organized by Johnson Motors. Their efforts paid off raising more than $4,000 to benefit the VFW’s Freedom Park Center project located just across Hatfield Lake. 

Pilot John Mohr saw an ad for his PT-17 Stearman biplane more than forty years ago.  

“I guess I was 23 years old. I test flew it, decided that was the one and bought it. It was being used as a crop duster at that time, so I brought it home, tore it apart and rebuilt it. It’s been a love affair all these years,” Mohr said.

“Overall, our expectations were exceeded. It was a great event thanks to the hard work by the VFW volunteers, Mitch Campeau and the Johnson Motors staff and the crew from the airport. We’re already making plans for next year,” said Airport Manager Mike Demulling.