CHESAPEAKE — It’s a gloomy day at the Lawrence County Airpark. The skies are dribbling rain and the clouds are limiting the amount of airtime pilots can log.

But it doesn’t seem like the weather is dampening the spirits of one pilot — he’s almost always at the airport, no matter what the elements.

“Yeah, I think I am here about everyday,” said 77-year-old Dee Callicoat. “But, it’s something I really enjoy.”

He joked that flying is as almost as enjoyable as eating to him.

The Huntington, W.Va., resident can be found in his hangar polishing and shining a plane that is a piece of history.

Callicoat has managed to keep the flying antique in top condition, with the help of some tender loving care. He is the owner of a 1947 Aeronca, or what Callicoat calls a “war bird.”

It was used by the U.S. Air

Force, whose logo is still proudly painted on the side of the yellow two-seater that can still be seen flying through the air in Lawrence County. Callicoat flies it about once a week.

The military plane has been protected from the elements, which has helped to preserve it, Callicoat said. The craftmanship that went into building it — including wood and fabric — may also have something to do with its endurance, he said. The plane can still log speeds of about 100 miles an hour.

Although Callicoat has owned the Aeronca for about six years, he is no rookie when it comes to aircrafts. In fact, the retired owner of a consulting firm has owned 32 planes in his lifetime. He has worked on them, reconstructed and stored them in different hangars at the Lawrence County Airpark.

“It’s kind of like other sports. It’s just great getting up in the air and enjoying it,” Callicoat said.

He said his time at the airport is always enjoyable, though admits that it is a lot of work.

“It’s work, but it’s fun, so I don’t really consider it work,” Callicoat said.