43rd Annual Fly-In Breakfast part of history in Cresco

CRESCO - Cresco is proud to celebrate their hometown heroes and one of those is Ellen Church, who started the stewardess program for airlines nearly a century ago.

In honor of her death 60 years ago, Cresco’s Chamber of Commerce will host their 43rd annual Fly-In Breakfast at the large hanger at Cresco Municipal Airport – Ellen Church Field, located southwest of the community on Sunday, Aug. 3, from 7:30 a.m. to noon.

“It’s fun to see the airport really come alive,” says Chamber Director Jason Passmore, pointing out there will be a lot of activity on the grounds, where guests will get lots of aeronautics opportunities pleasing for the entire family.

Passmore anticipates 35-50 small aircraft participating, flying in from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa to show off their planes, which will include some “wild stuff,” like homemade single-passenger aircraft.  

“These are individuals that are nuts about flying,” he said, noting most will come from within an hour of Cresco for the breakfast, flying in on their two to six seat typically single-engine aircraft. Passmore said attendees won’t see jets or larger planes, noting the airport landing strip isn’t large enough to accommodate such crafts as the cement runway is 50-foot wide by nearly 2,949-foot long.

The breakfast, which is put together by the Chamber and about 50 volunteers that include local business leaders, members and families, will feature all-you-can-eat pancakes and omelets, expecting to serve about 700. Children under five eat free, while adults are charged $12.

Passmore says the proceeds benefit the Chamber and is one of their largest fundraisers of the year. Even though he’s only been around for 15 years, he knows Ellen Church is one of Cresco’s “claims to fame” and said the event is earmarked to help keep her unique history alive, along with the fact the local airport was named in her honor.

According to Passmore, the 125-acre city-owned facility is a great asset for the community – in particular farmers – who take advantage of the services of crop dusters while private aircraft utilizes the facility as well.

Chamber assistant Spiff Slifka said Ellen Church, a Cresco High School graduate, redefined a global industry in serving passengers on airlines when she was refused a position as a pilot in the early 1930’s. “They told her ‘ girls don’t do that.’”

Slifka said Church, who also had a background in the military and as a nurse, never gave up, approaching Boeing leaders time and time again to eventually convince the airline they should have stewardesses, which are now known as flight attendants.

She said Boeing gave Church a pilot program to open the doors to the new career, including training, safety procedures and setting regulations like not being taller than five foot, four inches or weighing more than 115 pounds wearing their uniform.

Slifka said Cresco should be proud of the fact their “little town” produced such an innovative giant that changed the airline industry. “We like to say every town has a story. We just think ours is pretty cool,” Slifka said.

She pointed out the community has also produced five little boys who became military admirals and the community’s most famous hero, Norman Borlaug, an agronomist that changed world agriculture and is not only a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, but the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. In his honor, the community hosts the annual three-day Norman Borlaug Festival, which will be held Aug. 22-24.