A dedication ceremony will honor Harrel W. Timmons, a local aviation leader and longtime community member, by renaming the Galesburg Regional Airport as the Harrel W. Timmons Galesburg Regional Airport.
The ceremony is set for 4:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, at the International Stearman Community Center during the 54th Annual National Stearman Fly-In. The public is invited to attend.
The Galesburg City Council approved a resolution in December 2024 to rename the airport, recognizing Timmons’ decades of contributions to aviation. He founded Jet Air Inc., the airport’s fixed-base operator, in 1969 and served as its president until retiring in 2023. Under his leadership, the airport grew to serve recreational pilots, corporations and businesses, securing a Federal Aviation Administration upgrade to regional airport status in 2023, which enhances funding and services.
A pilot with over 20,000 flying hours, Timmons holds an airline transport pilot certificate and is a certified aircraft mechanic, FAA-designated pilot examiner and flight instructor. His mentorship has guided numerous pilots and mechanics to careers at airlines and corporations, earning him induction into the Illinois Aviation Hall of Fame in 2011.
Timmons has been a key figure in the National Stearman Fly-In since its inception in 1971, serving on the National Stearman Board of Directors and the Stearman Foundation Board of Directors. His vision helped establish Galesburg as a hub for vintage aviation, drawing enthusiasts nationwide each September.
