In his many years at the Southeast Missourian, both as a photographer and as a reporter, G.D. “Frony” Fronabarger spent a lot of time and energy covering general aviation and the development of what is now the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.
Frony’s devotion to aviation is well known. He told me once, he and a pilot friend of his wore out a plane flying around Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois taking aerial photos. It wasn’t until many, many years later that I learned that pilot was a friend of mine: John T. Seesing.
Recently, I ran across a story about a 1945 flying club based at Consolidated School of Aviation on Highway 74. The article isn’t bylined, nor is the photographer identified. But if I had to bet, I would say Frony was responsible for both.
The story reflects a time when the public’s interest was shifting from World War II and the role military aircraft played in that conflict to the promise of post-war, recreational flying.
http://www.semissourian.com/blogs/fromthemorgue/entry/49479/