Scottsdale Breakfast Club visits Safford

By Jon Johnson
Assistant Editor
Published on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 8:56 AM MST

A group of aeronautical enthusiasts flew into Safford on Monday morning and were treated to a cowboy breakfast at the Safford City Annex.

The city helped sponsor the event in an attempt to bolster tourism, according to Mayor Ron Green.

The Scottsdale Breakfast Club flew 23 privately owned planes into Safford and brought 55 people to the city for breakfast.

One of the 23 planes from the Scottsdale Breakfast Club taxis on the runway at the Safford Regional Airport on Saturday. Club members were treated to a cowboy breakfast at the City Annex. Photo by Jon Johnson

According to club head Warren McIlvoy, the group flies into a different locale once a month and eats breakfast. Afterward, the club members return to their planes and take flight.

Green, Vice Mayor Jason Kouts, Councilor Ken Malloque and City Manager David Kincaid were on hand to greet the club members and their guests at the airport.

The group was then shuttled to and from the Safford City Annex, where they were treated to a cowboy breakfast, courtesy of Ralph Smith and his chuck wagon and crew.

The breakfast included sausage, biscuits and gravy, cowboy coffee and two types of scrambled eggs – one with jalapenos and one without. The food and coffee were cooked using traditional methods, including Dutch ovens. The Scottsdale group paid $10 a plate to Smith to cover food costs, and many went back for seconds.

While the group was eating, the trio of Green, Smith and Don Wriston played a few cowboy songs for their enjoyment.

Kincaid told the Courier city staff volunteered their time to set up the breakfast and shuttle the group from the airport and back.

He said the only expenditure from the city was for the fuel used by the city’s vehicles.

Before the group left for the airport, each visitor was given an information packet about the city.

McIlvoy told the Courier the Safford Regional Airport was a nice facility to land at, and the group would be back.

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Comments

6 comment(s)

Warren McIlvoy wrote on Mar 26, 2009 8:13 AM:

" I want to express my sincerest appreciation to Ron Green and his staff for the wonderful reception that the Breakfast Club received on our recent visit. We are looking to repeat this again next year with maybe an overnight stay and a visit to one of the nearby mines for a tour. Thanks again to the City of Safford for your fine hospitality. "

mooney82q wrote on Mar 21, 2009 4:36 PM:

" I am one those Breakfast Club pilots that flew in last week. Had such a great time that I brought my wife back today (3/21) to show her what a great place Safford is. We enjoyed shopping on Main Street and had lunch at El Charro. The airport was very accomodating allowed us use of the airport vehicle to go into town for a couple of hours.
Thanks again to everyone for a wonderful experience. "

Breakfast Club Member wrote on Mar 21, 2009 2:40 PM:

" Thanks to everyone who sponsored this event! We had a great time and your hospitality was appreciated.

I don't recall ever having such a reception on any of our other visits, your group pulled out all the stops and red carpet!

This was my first visit and I will be back again...

Many thanks! "

Ken Calman wrote on Mar 21, 2009 10:21 AM:

" As a member of the Breakfast Club I'd like to thank all who participated in our Cowboy Cookout breakfast. Safford has a terrific airport, one I enjoy visiting, and the atmosphere in town is refreshing. An item of special interest is the very good courtesy car at the airport, which gets us into town and back, and is much appreciated. "

Volunteered wrote on Mar 19, 2009 2:21 PM:

" I bet the staff volunteered; what else are they going to do, tell King Green no? I see the city's special events trailer at a lot of these Cowboy things all over the valley...did they volunteer for those too? "

Gett-real wrote on Mar 19, 2009 11:47 AM:

" How sweet and nice for the Breakfast Club and such a special treat for the Gila Valley to be on their week end flights for breakfast tour. "

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