Every Day Is Aviation Day – at Least at Florida Tech, That Is
For a student in the College of Aeronautics at Florida Tech, every day is aviation day! A normal aviation day consists of aeronautics classes in Skurla Hall, ground lessons at F.I.T. Aviation, flights up and down the Space Coast at 3,000 ft. and occasionally the inevitable test. The official F.I.T. Aviation Day is one that everyone can enjoy. Florida Tech students, faculty and staff, as well as the surrounding community are invited to F.I.T. Aviation Day! Here’s why you will mark your calendar for this event next year:
Hangar Party – Move the planes aside!
The F.I.T. Aviation maintenance hangar is transformed into a showcase that displays many great aspects of aviation. Not only does it shade you from the Florida sun, but it gives everyone the opportunity to try several flight simulators and talk with professionals in the aviation industry. Plus, you never know what aircraft or equipment you will discover in an aviation maintenance hangar!
Who doesn’t love free stuff?
As you exit the hangar, there are tents galore set up all across the tarmac with many varieties of informational booths. I had a booth set up for my Florida Tech College of Aeronautics club, Collegiate Aviation Business Executives. It had a board with balloons on it where kids tried to pop the balloons with darts for prizes. We also sold raffle tickets for several prize baskets to raise money for our future trips. Other booths that attended included Florida Tech College of Aeronautics, Falcons Precision Flight Team, Civil Air Patrol, Melbourne Police Department and the Tuskegee Airmen. All of the tents had flyers for events, freebies to take home and professionals to network with.
Wait… Why planes and cars in one parking lot?
The tarmac not only had a variety of informational booths, it also had a variety of vehicles. When people think aviation, they usually relate to planes, but this aviation day was not the case. Defender Car Show landed on the tarmac with over 100 cars that included classic cars, muscle cars and hotrods! Don’t worry; the cars did not steal the show. F.I.T. Aviation Day had many aircraft displays including military, civilian, homebuilt aircraft, jets and helicopters. F.I.T. Aviation also had a Piper Seminole, Piper Arrow and a brand-new Piper Archer on display for guests to see them up close. One attraction visitors will not forget, that is, people were given the opportunity to fly in a World War II WACO biplane around the area. In the several hours I attended, the plane continued to return to drop someone off again and took off again instantly with another passenger. F.I.T. Aviation Day combined my love for cars and planes – couldn’t be better!
For updates on upcoming events, visit and like the College of Aeronautics Facebook Page!
