Mike Dutton, 59, took his first plane ride 44 years ago from the Festus Memorial Airport. Since then he's flown for the Navy and American Airlines. Now retired, he manages the same airport where he learned to love the skies.

However, the 2,200-foot tarmac and surrounding 60 acres of grass is up for sale, rendering the future of the airport uncertain. Will it be closed and paved over for industrial development? Will it change hands and be expanded to bring more business to the area? Or, will the strip simply stay the same?

Mike Dutton measures the diameter of a worn windsock before ordering a replacement at the Festus Memorial Airport on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009.