Last week, my wife and I made a short return to Joplin first via Delta to K.C., then Great Lakes Airline to Joplin.

It was our first return flight into Joplin since the new air terminal was dedicated; we were totally impressed with the facilities. If you haven’t been out to see the terminal you need to just drive out a take a look. Joplin history buffs will want to take time to look at the pictures posted on the walls.

During the churning of airlines this past year we had gotten in the habit of driving to other cities to catch flights; now we’re back. The fares are a little more than I’d like, but you know what, the convenience, ease of checking in and going through security and the short waiting time and free parking are worth it. We don’t have to get up in the middle of the night or go a day early and book into a hotel to make a morning flight, and we don’t have to pay those pesky parking fees, fill our auto gas tank or spend two to three hours on the highway, going and coming.

When we flew out again a week later on the 10:38 a.m. flight; we left downtown Joplin at 9:15 a.m., made a 10-minute business stop detour, were out to the terminal by 9:50 a.m., checked in with the Great Lakes reps; looked at pictures of the history of aviation in Joplin and read the Hoover Doolittle history; went through security and sat 15 minutes for our flight to leave. What a difference from the air terminals where you walk, walk, walk and have to drag luggage on and off buses or trams and are told “you should be here one to two hours before your flight time.”

The planes operated by Great Lakes all look to be about the same size — maybe 20 passengers.

And they’re comfortable if you shut the cold air vent off or turn it another direction.

Forty-five minutes later we were walking into the Kansas City terminal, caught the red bus around to Continental and within a few minutes we were in the air headed to Fort Walton via Houston. In Houston, we came in one gate, made a right turn of about 5 feet and out that gate to Fort Walton an hour later.

While in the Joplin terminal, Barbara and I caught up with Steve Stockham, our airport manager. It’s been a few years since we had seen each other; discussed the churning of the economy and what it has done to air travel; looks to be on the upswing again.

Don’t want to stray too far, but perhaps the thought is appropriate. When politicians start complaining about certain businesses making too much money during the good times; have you noticed those same folks are rarely heard from when an industry is losing money?

Our next flight out of Joplin is in January. Flying Joplin is a deal. Much better than driving out of town to catch a flight.

Konrad Heid lives in Joplin.