GREEN RIVER — A desire to grow interest in aviation underpins the annual Green River Spaceport Days at the Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport.

The event took place Friday and Saturday at the tiny landing strip south of Green River. A movie and smores took place Friday evening, while a pancake breakfast and aviation demonstrations happened Saturday. People had a chance to talk with pilots as well, giving them an opportunity to learn about the aircraft the pilots flew to the event.

One pilot, Gavin Donnelly of Jelm, was showing off the amateur-built aircraft he pilots. The word “experimental” on his yellow aircraft denotes the fact that it doesn’t have FAA certification and was home built. 

Donnelly has flown to Green River five times for the event.

“They’ve done a nice job on the airport, the work they’ve done on the runway,” he said.

Speaking with people about flying and showing children the inside of his aircraft is how Donnelly hopes to spark interest in aviation – something he had early on but had abandoned for years. Originally from New Jersey, Donnelly grew up hanging out at a nearby airport.

“I would gas up airplanes,” he said.

Coming to Wyoming for college when he was 18, he got away from that interest until 2002, when he decided to earn his pilot’s license, after which he and four friends bought an aircraft.

Future of the Spaceport

Mark Westenskow, Green River’s director of public works, said the airport is in line for funding from the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s Aeronautics Division to have a wildlife fence built to keep the runway clear of animals. Westenskow said groups of antelope have been spotted on the dirt runway, which can cause problems for pilots wanting to land at the airport. He said the city is also working with the Bureau of Land Management on the project as land on either side of the airport is under federal management. Other amenities are planned as well, which include a picnic table and a vaulted toilet.

“We’re talking easy work … that people who can land here can make use of,” Westenskow said. 

There are grander plans that are part of the city’s airport master plan, which was completed in 2015 and was part of a short-lived push to expand the airport under former Mayor Hank Castillon. That plan cited the airport could attract the state’s most common business, leisure and emergency flights. Green River City Councilwoman Sherry Bushman said while extensive improvements are listed in the master plan, the Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport would not compete with Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport, saying it would function as an auxiliary airport. The day the Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport develops into that kind of airport will be a day far in the future.

“We have to take it one step at a time,” Bushman said.