FOLEY, Ala. (WKRG) — When planes take off and land at the Foley airport, the runways may be the same, but now, the name is different.
Holk Field at Foley Municipal Airport, named after long-time mayor Arthur Holk. “He served almost 40 years, 20 as a council member, 20 as a mayor,” said current Foley Mayor Ralph Hellmich.
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Daughter Frances Holk Jones was there to honor her father. “This was his passion, and it was so special to him.”
Holk has the distinction of being the first pilot to land a plane at the airport in 1967, “when it was a dirt strip,” added Jones. “The city had bought it, and he landed the first plane.”
But it wasn’t his first plane; his first plane was a surprise. “My mother found out he had actually bought a plane, did not tell her, and had never had the first lesson, knew nothing about flying, he just decided he needed a plane,” said Jones.
Naming the airfield after Holk is historically significant, according to Hellmich. “We felt to honor him, and he loved airplanes, so Holk Field at Foley Municipal Airport was the right thing to do.”
“This was always his home and his passion,” said Jones. “He loved Foley.”
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A legacy that will be remembered with every touch and go…