OSU Flying Aggies host annual fly-in

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Media Contact: Jordan Bishop | Editor | 405-744-7193 | jordan.bishop@okstate.edu

With clear and windy skies, the Flying Aggies club at Oklahoma State University hosted its annual fly-in at the Ray and Linda Booker Flight Center on Saturday. 

The event showcased over 20 privately owned aircraft for guests to walk around and learn about, ranging from a Cessna 182 operated by Civil Air Patrol, to a Boeing Stearman biplane and a Becehcraft T-6 Texan from the United States Air Force. It also served as a fundraiser for the club. 

Aside from viewing planes on display, the club offered rides for guests in its Cessna 172s to experience flying in something other than commercial aircraft and served food from a grill. Dr. Jon Loffi, associate professor of aviation and faculty advisor for the Flying Aggies, believes that events like these help people learn more about aviation.

“The Flying Aggies are most excited about having all the aviation families and the public celebrating, learning and enjoying all the aspects of the fly-in and sharing in their enthusiasm for aviation and what OSU’s aviation and space program has to offer,” Loffi said.

Fly-ins are not just a visual spectacle, but a networking opportunity for those within the aviation community. Kaylin Klein, a professional pilot major and social chair for the Flying Aggies, said that while events like these are a great task, they prove rewarding. 

“Networking is very important in the aviation industry and the Aggies have helped our members and the club as a whole. It has helped make a name for our members and for the Flying Aggies,” Klein said.

By the end of the fly-in, more than 1,000 guests had come through. With such a turnout, Ryan Austin, a Flying Aggies vice president and aerospace administration and operations major, feels that events like these are one of the reasons the Flying Aggies have been around since 1948.

“Our organization thrives because we interact with the rest of OSU and the Stillwater community, and no event helps us accomplish that more each year than the Fly-In,” Austin said.

 

Story By: Sam Milek | smilek@okstate.edu