Sometimes the Flying Weather’s Fit Only for Turkeys

Winter is a good opportunity for telling old aviation stories.

Thursday, May 23, 2024 at 09:03 AM ET

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John Paul Riddle, a talented, handsome (even when I knew him in his 80s), and fascinating barnstormer originally from Pikeville, Kentucky, would play a very big part in creating what is now Cincinnati Municipal Airport-Lunken Field. [Courtesy: City of Pikeville; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Archives]

Key Takeaways:

The article recounts the early history of Cincinnati's Lunken Airport, detailing its origins on "Turkey Bottoms" farmland, which was eventually deeded to the city.
It highlights the pivotal role of barnstormer John Paul Riddle, who initially landed at the site and later partnered with T. Higbee Embry to establish the Embry-Riddle Company.
Based at Lunken Airport, the Embry-Riddle Company grew into a successful aviation enterprise offering flight and mechanic training, aircraft sales, and operating an early airmail route (CAM 24) to Chicago.
After the company's sale and its evolution into American Airlines, John Paul Riddle continued to be a significant figure in aviation, training many pilots and founding Riddle International Airlines.

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It’s mid-January in the Midwest, and I’m in a funk over something you’ll understand—the weather.

We don’t have much violent weather in the Ohio River Valley, but we suffer through weeks of low, gray skies, rain/snow mix, and gusty surface winds. The surface winds at the moment are 240 degrees at 14 gusting to 22 knots with a light rain/snow mix. Ceiling is 1,300 feet overcast with rime ice reports up to 9,000 feet, plus a wind shear alert—winds at 2,000 feet are from 210 degrees at 50 knots. And that wicked witch, Mother Nature, plans even stronger surface winds with high temperatures in the single digits.

Martha Lunken

Martha Lunken is a lifelong pilot, former FAA inspector and defrocked pilot examiner. She flies a Cessna 180 and anything with a tailwheel, from Cubs to DC-3s.