Huntington Quarterly Summer 2022

H U N T I N G T O N Q U A R T E R L Y used to decorate the walls in the restaurant. He also fashioned the lampshades from the metal nosecones of old airplanes. A large wooden propeller hangs over the bar. Over the years, the restaurant has evolved and grown. It started with a fish fry in the airplane hanger. Now, the extensive menu includes cooked-to-order sea food such as Chilean sea bass, haddock, fried oysters and two specials each weekend. For meat eaters, there are baby back ribs, a 12-ounce rib-eye steak and a variety of pastas. The building has evolved as well and now includes two din ing rooms and an outside patio. Dinner is served from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. onThursdays and Fridays, and lunch and dinner from 12 The décor of the Fly In Café matches the name. Miniature airplanes hang from the ceiling, which has been painted to mimic a sky full of airplanes. Bailey’s ex tensive collection of old signage — some featuring beers from the past, others flying-themed—was In addition to great seafood, steaks, burgers and more, the Fly In Café has also become known for its live bluegrass music. “ ” The annual Fly In Festival has become such a big event that thousands flock to the airport to watch the skydivers and listen to the best in bluegrass music. fetches his own seafood, it’s still always fresh—never frozen. The burgers are fresh as well. Because somany people fly in to eat there, in the aviation world the café has become known as the home of the $500 hamburger. “Last week a guy flew in from Indiana just to eat here,” Bailey said. “And I had a guy here not too long ago fromFlorida, and he said ‘Boy, that’s pretty bad when I have to come from Florida to WestVirginia to get the best fried oysters I’ve ever had.’”

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