Local pilot a ‘master craftsman' in airplane design

John Farquhar, co-owner of Mid-State Aviation at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, is known to most people as Papa John.

"He will just do anything for anybody," airport manager Bruce Loy said. "He is like the papa of the airport for everyone."

Farquhar, 86, said the name originally came from his friend Joe Lewis, who spent a lot of time watching him work at the airport. Lewis observed that Farquhar looked like the papa of his son and all his friends.

"Most people don't know me by my real name," Farquhar said.

Loy said Farquhar is somewhat of a pioneer of aviation in the Cape Girardeau area.

John Farquhar sits inside a frame of an airplane being constructed at the Mid-State Aviation hangar.

"John has been huge in the history of the airport," Loy said. "He has been a big part of this airport for a lot of years,"

Farquhar's involvement with the airport began almost 40 years ago in 1973 when he and his son built a hangar to house their airplane and engine repair business, now known as Mid-State Aviation.

Although Farquhar said he retired from the repair business about five years ago, he still uses the hangar to build airplanes. He shares the space with Dean Houseman and Paul Salmon of Cape Copters.

Farquhar began building airplanes for other people about 25 years ago and for personal use about 10 years ago.

"He is a master craftsman," Loy said. "It amazes me how he can have an airplane design in his head and build them from scratch."

Farquhar's career in aviation stretches far beyond his time at the airport. He said at an early age he became interested in building aircraft models. This interest in aircrafts continued as he got older.

"I hardly thought of anything else when I was in high school," Farquhar said.

The Texas native has been a part of the business for about 65 years. He learned to fly in 1944 and received his pilot license in 1945. However, he has never flown commercially. He went to work for an airline in Houston in 1946 as a mechanic and later became an inspector. In 1968, he left the airline and moved to Cape Girardeau.

Farquhar said he hasn't flown in the last four years, but has plans to fly again in the future.

"I intend to fly again when I get my latest creation finished."

He has been involved with organizations such as the Experimental Aircraft Association and Commemorative Air Force. He is currently on the board for the Cape Girardeau Pilots Club and served as the organization's past president.

"I haven't done it all, but I am running close," Farquhar said.

In 2006, a Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, an aircraft previously used by the U.S. Navy and Marines, was brought to the airport from Perryville, Mo., to be displayed at the airport's entrance. Farquhar was involved in preparing the airplane for display.

"It is quite impressive," Farquhar said. "It is a pretty good center point for the airport."

Farquhar received the Charles E. Taylor Master Mechanic Award about 10 years ago. The award, given by the Federal Aviation Administration, honors those with 50 years of service in an aviation maintenance career. The plaque is displayed in Washington, D.C.

At 86, Farquhar plans to continue building and flying airplanes. He said he has known men who continued to do so into their 90s.

"I'm going to see if I can't do that," Farquhar said.

ajones@semissourian.com

388-3654