It’s a simple idea: Invite anyone interested in aviation — be it pilots, aspiring pilots, or airplane aficionados — out to the airport for a cup of coffee.
Over the last six years, the simple idea that created Airplanes & Coffee has taken off, bringing pilots together and creating new pilots along the way.
Started by three Texas pilots — Mike Roberts, Russ Keith, and John Naugle — Airplanes & Coffee hosted its first event Sept. 5, 2020, at Addison Airport (KADS), just north of Dallas.
Since then, Airplanes & Coffee has held more than 60 events, provided more than 1,100 free discovery flights, awarded 29 aviation scholarships, and completed more than a dozen school visits, according to Naugle.
“Our Facebook community has grown to more than 460,000 members, and our content generated more than 13 million views during a recent two-month period,” he added.
But there’s more to it than just numbers, he emphasized.
“The most meaningful part of the story is not simply the scale,” he said. “We regularly meet people who believed aviation was inaccessible to them until someone invited them onto an airport ramp, introduced them to a pilot, or gave them their first flight. We are trying to build the welcoming front door to general aviation that many of us wish we had found earlier.”
The group’s next event is Sept. 12 at Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport (KTPL) in Temple, Texas.
“More than 1,000 people attended there last year,” Naugle noted.
This year’s free event will include aircraft displays, a flour-bomb competition, aviation education, family activities, and a limited number of free discovery flights.
Find out more on the group’s Facebook page or at AirplanesAndCoffee.org.
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