A favorite pastime of former Indiana Beach owner Tom Spackman is visiting local airports and watching the aviation activity. Spackman earned a pilot's license early in his life but due to life's many intrusions, he had not flown an airplane in more than 40 years. Spackman turned 95 July 5 and was driven to the White County Municipal Airport for what he thought was a usual visit just to see what was happening. However, companion Marilyn Carlson had other ideas. She arranged for airport manager John Townsend to take Spackman up in his Cessna 172 Skyhawk for a "refresher" flight. "I told him I was just taking him out to the airport," Carlson said. "He was really surprised when we got there and I told him he was going for a ride!" The flight lasted more than a half-hour and included a tour over Indiana Beach. "After all those years of not touching an airplane, everything just came back," Spackman said. He is seen sitting at the controls of the Skyhawk prior to departure.

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