WOODVILLE – On the heels (and wings) of a successful inaugural event, the Tyler County Chamber of Commerce has announced another Fly-In event, with the date of Saturday, Oct. 25 scheduled for it.
The event, now planned as an annual occurrence, took place last year in September, at the Tyler County Airport, and Chamber president Cathy Bennett said it was a huge success, with the only negative being the hot weather. “Therefore, this year’s will be held one month later. We are looking forward to another great day,” Bennett said.
The event, which will again feature food trucks, along with aviators showing off their planes, will start at 9 a.m., and the Chamber announced that it will start accepting food truck vendors at the end of August.
For those who might be wondering what a “fly-in” constitutes, fly-ins at an airport, which are also called aviation meets, are gatherings for pilots, passengers and the general public to, respectively, show off their aircrafts and enjoy a slice of aviation culture in a relaxed, recreational setting.
Fly-ins are different from airshows in that they are not competitive events without air displays. Fly-ins also typically carry the air of a group of friends meeting to socialize, sometimes over a barbecue. This is where the food truck aspect comes into play.
Bennett added that the success of the first Fly-In event was “thanks to a real team effort.”
“Holly Wells, the Chamber director is an amazing event coordinator/organizer but, of course as the saying goes, it takes a village,” she said.
Alongside the nearly 70 sponsors, which contributed to funding all aspects of producing the event, Bennett said the support of the community was valuable beyond any measure.
“Pct. 1 Commissioner Joe Blacksher worked tirelessly reaching out to participants, handling the fuel and working hand in hand with (Pct. 3) Commissioner Mike Marshall our commissioner in charge of the airport,” Bennett said.
Others who volunteered tirelessly to make the event go off without a hitch included emergency management coordinator John Settlocker, who, with his team, oversaw security, parking, and arranged for Tyler County Hospital to have a presence at the event, in order to provide any medical services that may be needed, under the direction of TCH CEO Sondra Williams.
Bennett also said that the airport terminal building underwent a complete facelift, under Marshall’s supervision, with the assistance of his secretary, Mary Walters. The Tyler County Development Foundation, and the county, rebuilt it. County worker Burtis Conner put in a lot of help, she said, and once the project was finished, Mann’s Furniture finished off the project by donating some beautiful furniture to make the terminal building something to be proud of.
Bennett said she also wanted to acknowledge the Tyler County Commissioners Court and County Judge Milton Powers, whom she said “stepped up to fill in the gaps.”
“We couldn’t have done it without them,” she said.
With a crowded airport full of Tyler Countians turning out to see all of the planes and skydiving displays, among other fun, in September, Bennett says the Chamber is aiming for an even bigger event this year.
“It’s amazing what can be done when we all pull together. Now we look forward to an even bigger and better event,” she said.
