More than 1,200 members of the Holland-area community celebrated National Aviation Day at the West Michigan Regional Airport on Aug. 19.
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More than 1,200 people attended National Aviation Day at the West Michigan Regional Airport. (Boileau & Co)
The airport partnered with Wings of Mercy for their annual Holland CareAffaire and Runway 5k race, part of a full day of activities at the Allegan County facility.
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More than 1,200 people attended National Aviation Day at the West Michigan Regional Airport. (Boileau & Co)
The day began with the Runway 5k race, followed by a free pancake breakfast. It continued with flight demonstrations, a color guard presentation, a flyover by the Hooligan Flight Team, flight simulators from FlightPath, drone demonstrations and much more. Guests enjoyed free ice cream provided by Operation Polar Patrol, food, flights and kid-friendly activities.
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The airport partnered with Wings of Mercy for their annual Holland CareAffaire and Runway 5k race. (Boileau & Co.)
Chance to engage community
“Being tax-supported, we love creating opportunities for the community members to engage with the airport through celebrations like National Aviation Day,” says Airport Director Aaron Thelenwood. “It’s amazing to see families engage with aviation and to show them the value this airport brings to our community. For many, this will be their only chance to get this level of access to an airport.”
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Attendees had an opportunity to try out flight simulators from FlightPath. (Boileau & Co)
Thelenwood noted that through continued investment from member communities of Holland, Zeeland, and Park Township along with support from area businesses, activity continues to grow, so the airport is able to give back and provide these one-of-a-kind experiences.
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The airport partnered with Wings of Mercy for their annual Holland CareAffaire and Runway 5k race. (Boileau & Co)
“We are also extremely excited to welcome our newest on-field partner, Avflight, who was instrumental in supporting operations and activities day of (the event),” Thelenwood says.
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Guests enjoyed free ice cream provided by Operation Polar Patrol, food, flights and kid-friendly activities. (Boileau & Co)
Celebration of flight
National Aviation Day was established in 1939 to celebrate achievements in aviation. It’s observed on Aug.19, Orville Wright’s birthday, in recognition of the first controlled and sustained motorized flight orchestrated by Wright.
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Attendees watch a demonstration by the WMRA webot. (Boileau & Co)
The National Aviation Day celebration in Holland is hosted annually by the West Michigan Regional Airport and Wings of Mercy. Upcoming events can be found on their websites and social media pages.
For additional information on the airport, visit
https://westmichiganregionalairport.com.
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