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Rio Creek Airport, owned and managed by Don Walter, was established in the early 70's when a group of enthusiastic pilots began building a runway just west of "downtown" Rio Creek. Through many hours of rock picking and plowing, many friends and family members helped transform a field into Runway 7/25. The first flight out of Rio Creek Airport was piloted by Sonny Raasch, a cheese maker at the Rio Creek Cheese Factory, on August 28, 1973 in a 1946 415-C ERCO Ercoupe(N2486H), owned by his instructor, Don Wilson. Throughout the next few years two hangars, an aviators clubhouse, and an A-framed cabin were added as the aviation bug captivated the small town. The A-framed cabin being built in January of 1974, which was turned into the clubhouse in 1998. In August of 1975 the Rio Creek Aviators flying club was formed, one month later, on September 30, 1975, the club bought the airplane that they still have today, a 1968 Piper Cherokee 140(N6687J). With more and more members joining all the time, the Rio Creek Aviators organized their first fly-in on August 11, 1977, two years after the club's beginning. Traditionally held the week after the EAA convention, the annual fly-in was soon hosting more than 20 planes and a few hundred people.