“Spirit of St. Louis” Flies Again in Avon Lake

The gas station and plane (at far left), circa 1930s
(Photo Courtesy ClevelandMemory.org)

The plane, circa 1968
(Photo courtesy Lorain Journal)

For many Lake Road motorists, a small replica of the famous "Spirit of St. Louis” airplane, mounted atop a pole at a gas station in Avon Lake, was a roadside landmark for decades.

Commuters (like me) used to watch for the bright orange plane with the words KEKIC (the gas station’s owner’s name) in blue lettering on its side as part of the daily travel routine. It was a comforting sight and a pleasant connection to the past.

And then suddenly, the plane – and the gas station – were gone, with no evidence they were ever there on U. S. Route 6 at the eastern end of the city.

Fortunately, Avon Lake values its highway history. And in recent years, steps have been taken by Heritage Avon Lake, the city’s historical society, and the community to make sure it isn’t forgotten. (Click here, here and here for other examples.)

One of the latest efforts is a wonderful, exact recreation of the "Spirit of St. Louis” plane that was such a familiar sight. It’s the Eagle Scout project of young Nick Zangas of Avon Lake.

Read all about it here in an excellent West Life article from last December by Mike Sakal.

Although I was aware of the project last year, I only recently noticed the finished plane in its location down at Miller Road Park. Here are some shots from a few weeks ago.

It's absolutely faithful to the original, and passes with flying colors for attention to detail in my book.

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I’ve written about the original Kekic plane before, posting both a great 1968 Journal article and 1973 Elyria Chronicle article about its history here. I also did my own “Then & Now” photo study here.

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UPDATE (August 4, 2020)
Here’s a link to an article on Cleveland.com with a photo of the Kekic replica plane being installed at Miller Road Park, as well as information about the upcoming dedication on August 15th. And this link will take you to a great West Life article from mid-July by Tom Corrigan about Nick Zangas, as well as the history of the original gas station plane.