Averett University’s Aviation Department were major contributors to the City of Danville’s Free Fly Day on Saturday, Nov. 1 at the Danville Regional Airport. Averett flight instructors took local youth on free airplane rides.

Airport Open House activities included tours of airport facilities including the Operations Tower. In addition, those attending also learned about Danville Public Schools new Aviation Sciences program, experienced the Danville Science Center’s StarLab and enjoyed a star-filled night and flight into space aboard the Orion Spacecraft.

Averett flight instructors flew approximately 185 flights on the day, which was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., but actually got started a little earlier due to the number of children who arrived early for this unique opportunity. In all, about 30 members of the Averett Aviation Department were on hand to help make this day run smoothly. During the event, Averett used eight of its airplanes, plus the Civil Air Patrol also gave rides in one of its planes.

This event was another which highlights the growing and successful partnerships between Averett University, Danville Regional Airport and other key aviation stakeholders in the Dan River Region.

To view a photo gallery of this event, please click HERE.