Save Atlanta Biplanes

Dekalb County Board of Commissioners

Save the Yellow Biplane

The ‘Yellow Biplane’ has been a fixture at PDK Airport for 20 years, but with recent events, this icon is in peril of losing her habitation. Your support can help us to keep this treasure at PDK, serving the community as an attraction to the airport and to Dekalb County.

A great man named Steve Collins owned and operated “Biplane Rides Over Atlanta” since 1997, with the purpose of sharing his passion for airplanes with the public. In July of 2020, Steve Collins died after complications from heart surgery. When we lost Steve, his friends knew it would be a challenge to fill his shoes, but we still had to take one step at a time.

The first order of business was securing the assets of his operations; the company, advertising materials, and of course the airplane. With those in hand, it took several months to get FAA approval for the rides program. While this was being handled, the Airport Administration was busy telling the Board of Commissioners that the Estate had surrendered their leases to the airport property. This was not true!

We are not politicians, but pilots, historians, and mechanics, all a part of the PDK community. We are just trying to ‘do the right thing’ and keep Steve’s legacy alive. By signing this petition, you are helping us to help our Commissioners correct this situation. We need new leases issued to replace the ones we lost, to continue our operations at PDK Airport.

To: Dekalb County Board of Commissioners
From: [Your Name]

The PDK Airport Administration is a complex and niche environment for Dekalb County, and often in a rushed attempt to take care of the bigger picture, the little guys lose out. This is not the intent of the County leadership, rather an unfortunate side effect of growth and expansion.

“The Yellow Biplane” has become an iconic fixture at PDK and has flown over 6,000 hours in the last 20 years, serving our community with an exciting aerial adventure opportunity, catering to an average of 1,500 happy visitors every year in operation. Even those who might be too timid to take the ride still enjoy daydreaming about their friends and family’s adventures as they watch from the ground, often spending money with other local businesses on food, drinks, and services.

Please support our local small businesses at the airport by helping “Atlanta Air Tours” (formerly Biplane Rides Over Atlanta) continue operating out of the facilities previously leased to them. Through no fault of their own, their County leases were terminated, and we need new leases issued to support their operations.