On a busy Saturday morning, 60 to 70 airplanes can fly in and out while you work through your hash browns. That’s a lot of air traffic for one breakfast.
And every seat looks right at it.
This diner sits inside a small airport terminal in Indiana. The runway once belonged to an Air Force base.
Now it hosts two-seaters, garage-built planes, classic aircraft, and even the occasional 1930s bomber.
I love how the menu matches the setting. The breakfast dishes carry names like the Skyhawk, the Tomahawk, and the Chopper.
Kids even get their own Cadet Menu.
I can’t imagine a better way to make pancakes feel like an event. The windows stretch wall to wall, so nobody gets stuck staring at a blank corner.
So which do you watch first, your plate or the sky?
Every Seat Comes With A Front-Row Ticket To The Runway
Blackerby’s Hangar 5 Restaurant gives you something most diners can’t. The windows run wall to wall, so every seat faces real airport action.
That matters more than you’d think. Nobody has to crane their neck around a pillar or sit facing a bathroom door.
The restaurant sits right on the tarmac at Columbus Municipal Airport. Planes taxi, take off, and touch down just beyond the glass.
On a normal day, the airport sees 80 to 90 planes come and go.
Weekends get even livelier. A Saturday or Sunday morning can bring 60 to 70 airplanes flying in and out.
That’s a steady show from coffee to the last bite of toast.
Small propeller planes make up much of the traffic. You’ll spot personal two-seaters buzzing in for breakfast runs.
Some pilots actually fly in just to eat here.
A booth by the window makes a great spot for slow mornings. Grab one if you can, then let the runway handle the entertainment.
Keep your phone handy for quick photos. Planes don’t pause for pictures, and timing is everything when a pretty one rolls past.
Good luck finishing your eggs while that’s happening outside.
Your Wallet Will Like The Breakfast Math Here
Good news for budget breakfasters. Several hearty plates here land right around that ten-dollar mark.
The biscuits and gravy sit in that friendly price range. So does the quiche, which comes in even a little lower.
A Senior Bakalar breakfast costs less still and brings two eggs, half potatoes, and half bacon or sausage.
That Senior Bakalar name isn’t random, either. It nods to Bakalar Air Force Base, the old military base that became this airport.
History on a plate, basically.
The food here is described as made from scratch. That’s a nice bonus when you’re paying diner prices.
Classic comfort food is the whole idea, with nothing fussy getting in the way.
Biscuits and gravy come up again and again as a favorite order. Midwesterners take that dish seriously, so it’s a fair test for any breakfast spot.
You can even get a half order to share.
Want to stretch your money further? Pair a smaller plate with coffee and settle into the view.
The planes are free, after all.
A full breakfast plus an airshow for around ten dollars sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.
Skillet Lovers Should Head Straight For The Layered Breakfasts
Potatoes on the bottom, good stuff piled on top. That’s the basic blueprint for the layered breakfasts, and it’s skillet comfort at its best.
The Skyhawk stacks potatoes with sausage, peppers, onions, sausage gravy, and cheese. It’s a big, cozy plate built for a hungry morning.
Prefer some heat? The Tomahawk brings potatoes, chorizo, green chilis, salsa, and cheese together.
It’s the pick for anyone who wants breakfast with a little kick.
Then there’s the Chopper. It layers potatoes with country fried steak, cheese, mushrooms, and gravy.
Call it the heavyweight of the bunch.
These run a few dollars more than the basic plates. Still, they pack a lot of food into one dish.
Sharing a side with a friend could make the deal even better.
I love that the names all fit the aviation theme. Ordering a Skyhawk while a real plane climbs past the window feels oddly perfect.
Breakfast is served all day during open hours, too. So a layered plate works fine at lunchtime if you skipped the morning rush.
Nobody here will judge your noon potatoes.
Tacos And Nachos Showed Up For Breakfast Too
Breakfast nachos exist here, and that’s reason enough to pay attention. They sit on the specialty side of the menu with breakfast tacos.
Both make fun choices when the usual eggs and toast feel too predictable. They also work well for splitting at the table.
Then there’s quiche, a lighter option that still feels satisfying. It’s a smart order if you want something lighter before a busy day.
Omelets come in a variety of styles, too. That gives egg fans plenty of room to choose without boredom.
Chicken and waffles and French toast also turn up as popular orders. The sweet side of the menu clearly holds its own.
Fluffy pancakes are another familiar pick. Kids especially tend to go straight for them, which makes sense.
A fun strategy is ordering one savory dish and one sweet dish to share. That way everyone tastes more of the menu without overloading.
Coffee goes with all of it, naturally. Watching a small plane line up for takeoff with a warm mug in hand feels like a mini vacation.
Variety means repeat trips never get dull. The menu has plenty of reasons to come back.
Lunch Brings Tenderloins, Meatloaf, And Daily Specials
Indiana has a famous sandwich, and it shows up here. The pork tenderloin is one of the most talked-about lunch orders.
That’s a big deal in a state that takes its tenderloins seriously. If you’re visiting from out of state, this is a solid way to try one.
Meatloaf also earns plenty of attention. It’s a classic comfort plate that fits right in with the homestyle cooking.
The menu includes a range of sandwiches, too. They make easy picks if you’re watching planes on a quick lunch break.
Daily specials keep things fresh. Ask your server what’s on offer, because the specials change and might surprise you.
Lunch ends when the doors close at 2 PM. Plan for that, since this isn’t a dinner spot.
Late lunchers should aim to arrive with a little cushion.
Side dishes like a hash brown casserole and mac and cheese pop up on many tables. They round out a plate without much fuss.
Mixing lunch with plane spotting turns a regular weekday into something fun. It beats eating a sandwich at your desk by a mile, or maybe a runway.
Little Aviators Get Their Very Own Cadet Menu
Kids and airplanes go together like syrup and pancakes. Blackerby’s Hangar 5 Restaurant clearly knows it.
The Cadet Menu is made just for young diners. That cute aviation name fits the whole flight-themed setup nicely.
Children can watch real planes taxi past the glass while they eat. That’s a pretty strong distraction from fidgeting.
Some might even forget to complain about vegetables.
The setting suits families well. The atmosphere stays welcoming and casual, with booths and tables near the big windows.
Grandparents often bring little ones here to watch takeoffs. It’s an easy outing that feels special without costing a fortune.
Here’s a smart tip for parents. Weekend mornings bring the most air traffic, so kids get the busiest show then.
That also means the dining room can get crowded. Going a bit earlier helps you grab a window seat before the rush.
Pancakes rank high with the younger crowd. Pair them with a runway full of tiny planes, and you’ve built a morning they’ll remember.
Who knows? A pancake breakfast here might spark a future pilot’s first big dream.
Those Planes Outside Might Be Older Than Your Grandparents
A 1930s bomber outside a breakfast window? It can happen here, and that’s wild.
The traffic at Columbus Municipal Airport is wonderfully mixed. Personal two-seaters share the runway with garage-built aircraft and classic airplanes.
Garage-built planes are exactly what they sound like. Hobbyists build them by hand, and each one can look a little different.
Classic planes add a dose of nostalgia. Even if you don’t know aviation, their shapes and colors are fun to spot.
Larger aircraft sometimes appear, too. Camp Atterbury runs touch-and-go exercises that can bring bigger planes into view.
A touch-and-go means a plane lands briefly, then takes off again without stopping. It’s a training move, and watching it from a booth is pretty neat.
Aviation fans love this mix. Casual diners can enjoy it too, simply by guessing which plane comes next.
Try a little game at your table. Each person picks a plane and makes up where it’s headed.
Silly, sure, but it makes breakfast more fun.
No two visits look exactly the same. The runway changes with every hour.
An Old Air Force Base Turned Into Your Breakfast Spot
Before the pancakes, there were military jets. The airport once served as Bakalar Air Force Base.
The U.S. military later gifted the land to the city of Columbus. It became a business park and a working airport.
The restaurant first opened as Hangar Five back in 1981. It has been feeding hungry diners and pilots ever since.
The Blackerby family took over in February 2006. They put their name on it and kept the runway breakfast tradition going.
In 2021, Hangar 5 Restaurant celebrated its 40th anniversary. That’s a long run for any diner.
Today, father and son Wayne and Caleb Blackerby carry the business forward. I like that a family keeps it rolling.
The Senior Bakalar breakfast keeps a piece of history on the menu. It’s a quiet tribute to the base that came first.
Knowing this backstory makes the view feel richer. Those runways have seen decades of aviation, from military days to weekend hobby flyers.
Next time you sip coffee by the window, think about everything that’s rolled across that pavement. It’s a lot of Indiana history for one breakfast booth.
Plan Your Landing Before The 2 PM Wheels-Up
Finding the place is half the adventure. The restaurant sits inside the Columbus Municipal Airport terminal, at 4770 Ray Boll Blvd #3, Columbus, IN 47203.
Plug that address into your GPS and follow it to the terminal. Parking at an airport tends to be easy, which is a nice perk.
Blackerby’s Hangar 5 Restaurant opens every day from 7 AM to 2 PM. It serves breakfast and lunch only, so dinner plans need another stop.
Weekends bring the most planes and plenty of diners. If you want a window booth with prime views, arriving early is smart.
Weekdays can be calmer, though lunch hours may still fill up. Either way, the runway keeps things interesting.
Pilots can fly right in, too. Having breakfast at a real airport makes it a popular flight destination.
Columbus, Indiana, is known for its striking modern architecture. That makes it easy to turn breakfast into a whole day trip around town.
Start with eggs and airplanes, then explore the city afterward. It’s a pretty great way to spend a Saturday.
Just remember that 2 PM closing time. Nobody wants to miss the last call for potatoes.
