The 19th annual Smithville Fly-In, held May 10, 2025, at Smithville-Crawford Municipal Airport (84R) in Texas, was taken to a whole new level this year.
More than 1,500 people from the community attended the free event, which featured an appearance by two United States Air Force T-6 Texan training aircraft and an Army Blackhawk helicopter.
“I’ve helped with this event many times, but this year was different,” says Jack Fleetwood, a pilot who regularly attends fly-ins around the state of Texas.
“The number of volunteers and the effort each person put in took it to a whole new level. Many fly-ins lack the necessary safety measures to ensure everyone’s safety, and this year I felt 84R set the standard. I look forward to returning next year!”
Also enjoying the day was Major Gerardo “Cowboy” Caballero, an Air Force T-6 instructor pilot in the 559th Flying Training Squadron at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio.
“We came to Smithville at the request of the air field manager,” he says. ”Normally we don’t land to a full stop here, so the fly-in presents us with an amazing opportunity for us to explain our mission to the local community, enhancing the overall level of flight safety across the airspace.”
“For me, personally, it has been a pleasure to participate, considering that it’s been 10 years since the last time my squadron visited the Smithville Fly-In,” he continues. “We received a very warm welcome and have been very fruitful in cementing our relations with the community.”
“For a relatively small airport, the fly-in at 84R brought in an impressive collection of aircraft and as an aviator it is always exciting to watch these amazing machines take to the skies,” he adds.
The military aircraft were a big draw for Tanya Diaz.
“The arrival of the military aircraft caught my attention,” she says. “I had never seen Air Force aircraft of that type.”
While parked on the ramp during the fly-in, the public could get up close to the aircraft and take photos.
Along with the military aircraft, more than 75 aircraft arrived for the fly-in, which included a special break for children around midday when a Robinson R-44 helicopter dropped more than 50 pounds of candy.
For Sandy Mayerson, who serves as airport operations manager at 84R, sharing his love of aviation with the community is one of the highlights of the day.
“I enjoy seeing all the people who come out to the airport, having a great time and learning about our passion,” he says.
And he was quite satisfied with the turnout for the 2025 show.
“It’s one of the best community events in the area, which is why we have such great support from the public,” he says.
For more information: CI.Smithville.tx.us/212/Smithville-Crawford-Municipal-Airport
More Photos From The Show
Great air show, wish I could have been there! I absolutely love warbirds!
We at 84R are extremely proud of this years FlyIn ! It takes a team working for months to prepare for this one day event. We were blessed with great weather (till about 1:45) but we have received nothing but compliments. It only sets the bar a little bit higher, but I assure you we will meet expectations.
Nice write up on our annual Smithville TX fly in.