Faulkton’s Hometown Heroes Take Center Stage During Wild West Days

The airplane rides were supposed to end around three o’clock.

But the line of people waiting to climb into one of the Faulk County Flying Club prop planes was so long last year, club member Tomelyn Taylor and her husband hung around until 8 o'clock that night.

“We felt that if those kids and people are standing in line that long they deserve a ride,” she said.

Attendance at the 2026 Wild West Wheels and Wings Car Show and Fly-In on July 4th is expected to shatter all previous records as people celebrate America toasting its 250th year of independence. In order to handle the crowd, folks who want to make a free-will donation and take a high altitude tour of Faulk County are encouraged to pre-register for their airplane ride by giving Taylor a shout at 605-216-5242 or tomelyntaylor@yahoo.com.

Nervous flyers, take heart. She’ll help soothe the jitters.

“I will answer any questions, and I will deal with any nervousness, and talk you out of that, because it's just an awesome experience,” she says.

Awesome in more ways than one. 

We Are Here to Support Our Veterans

The whole idea behind offering airplane rides during Wild West Days was to pique people’s interest in aviation careers and bring awareness to what the Faulk County Flying Club does.

But they also wanted to do something more.

“We want to preserve the stories and history of local veterans because there's a wealth of information and history in Faulk County alone,” she said. “And although veterans get recognized on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, we wanted to give them one more. It’s our way of saying thanks.”

While the Flying Club facilitates the event, coordinating local pilots for rides and managing free-will donations, the event’s success relies on the collective efforts of neighboring towns, local businesses, and residents.

“We probably would not be doing it on this scale if it wasn't for the people that have donated,” said Taylor.

Contributions range from beef donated by area cattle ranchers to goods for the quilt auctions and toy auctions.

“Around 500 lbs of donated beef has been collected thus far,” she said. “It allows us to provide veterans with direct aid, such as grocery and gas cards, demonstrating that while we cannot take away their pain, we are here to support them.”

Preserving the Personal Stories Behind the Service

The Faulk County Flying Club is also spearheading the creation of the Faulk County Veterans Memorial Park, which will be located adjacent to the airport.

“Given the club’s interest in aviation, military history, and honoring local veterans, it felt like the natural thing to do,” she said. “But we wanted to do something more than just a bench or a plaque with people’s names on it.”

When the park opens in a few years, it will serve not only as a memorial, but also as an educational destination paying homage to Faulk County veterans.

“I want everybody to know that there have been sacrifices,” she said. “Once when I was talking to a veteran who said, ‘Going to war was the easy part, it was coming home and living my life that was the hardest.”

For Taylor and the Faulk County Flying Club, it’s those personal, often never told stories that underscore the importance of the creation of the park; a place where future generations can learn about military service, the lasting impact it had on the men and women who returned home, and the importance of honoring, and remembering, those who never did.