Planes Displayed at Airport Day
Barnesville resident Dick Thomas, a 1954 BHS grad, displayed his 1959 Piper Comanche for attendees of the 2026 Barnesville-Bradfield Airport Day.
Thomas, who spends his summers in Barnesville and winters in Florida, said the dismantled aircraft was purchased in pieces. He and the plane’s co-owner, a retired professional pilot from Indiana, spent seven years rebuilding the plane. Thomas continues to fly the plane but his Indiana business partner does not due to a medical condition.
Thomas has flown the Piper Comanche in the past to Florida, Indiana and Arizona. Today, the plane is stored at the local airport. Thomas said the plane was last in the air in July 2025.
Other planes on display were a 1955 Piper Tri-Pacer owned by Isaac McPeek, a 1964 Cesna 150 owned by Jeff Aland and a 1976 Cesna 150 owned by Curt Hallstrom.
Advisors and members of Barnesville Girl Scout Cadette Troup #10292 added a nice feature to Airport Day. Using a mounted computer Tablet as a camera, members of the group took four photos of families posing with Dick Thomas’s Piper Comanche. As each photo session ended, participants keyed in a cell phone number on the Tablet screen and the photo was sent to the family. ©Barnesville Area News Company Photos
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