HERREN-BESS HOLLOW UPGRADES WITH RAF GRANT

Herren-Bess Hollow airport, LL77 at Kamaroo Farms is as interesting a place as its name. Located near Kampsville, IL, the airfield has hiking trails, fishing ponds, and a “gold mine” for kids to explore. Exotic farm animals such as camels, kangaroos ostriches, and emus make this a family friendly destination.

You can camp under an old walnut tree and soon you’ll enjoy upgrades that Illinois Ambassador David Warner is adding thanks to an RAF grant. The airfield is 3,400 feet of maintained turf with clearly marked ends and displaced thresholds. The FAA restricts it to 1,924 feet due to terrain on each end. It’s near a population of active pilots, just north of the St. Louis Class B airspace, but can still be reached by unequipped aircraft. Warner is using the grant to provide a second windsock, and owners Mike and Tammy Herren will supply the post, concrete, labor and equipment to install it. The grant will also fund an improved RAF fire ring, and Herren will level, install, and provide pavers surrounding it.

The Herrens welcome visitors and continue to build attractions to those already available. “We stumbled on to one of their occasional crawfish boils last year when we dropped in to camp,” Warner said, adding, “The attendees really enjoyed themselves, and all were impressed by the quality of everything the Herrens did and their overwhelming hospitality.

The inviting field lies in hilly country between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, very nearthe free Kampsville ferry that crosses the Illinois River. It runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The village of Kampsville is home of the Center for American Archeology that contains exhibits demonstrating evidence of 7,000 years of human habitation excavated nearby. Check their website for access information.

For more information on Herren-Bess airfield and the required safety briefing, see the Airfield Guide.

Submitted July 22, 2024
By Carmine Mowbray