EAA AirVenture 2024: A Family Reunion Like No Other
EAA AirVenture 2024: A Family Reunion Like No OtherAnother year, another unforgettable EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in the books! The Flight Outfitters team packed up our bags, trucks, and those iconic Adirondack chairs, and headed north for our…
Flight Outfitters Annual “Pilot Your Own Adventure” Contest
The Flight Outfitters “Pilot Your Own Adventure” contest is an annual writing competition that partners with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) to bring the aviation community together for a fun-filled event. For the past three…
An Adventurous Beginning
THE 2023 PYOA CONTEST 2ND PLACE STORY
By: Donna Miller
About ten thousand hours ago (pilots understand this time frame, and this is a flying story after all), I found myself working as a civilian for the Air Force in Taegu, South Korea,…
The First Spark
THE 2023 PYOA CONTEST 3RD PLACE STORY
By: Courtney Kiser
The first spark. The engagement. The wedding. How do these events relate to aviation? They involve a tired, old airplane that was soon to spread its wings again. This airplane would…
Fight or Flight
THE 2023 PYOA CONTEST 4TH PLACE STORY
By: Olivia Allen
Many fairy tales start with “once upon a time” and are only a fable. However, my story started as a little girl with a dream. Not a lot of people expected a deaf little girl with a…
Oshkosh 2023 Recap
Oshkosh 2023 was bigger than ever and didn’t disappoint! With seemingly more planes, pilots, and enthusiasts alike, #Osh23 will go down in the books as a memorable one. We caught up with old friends and made a lot of new ones. A special thank…
What If?
THE 2023 PYOA CONTEST GRAND PRIZE WINNING STORY
By: Shelbe Jarrett
What if? Two impactful words that held me in their powerful grip for a long time. As an adolescent growing up, I had no idea what I wanted to be in life. Sure, I had fantasies…
A Life Changing Choice
THE 2023 PYOA CONTEST 5TH PLACE STORY
By: Chris Gayman
I think my story may have sparked from a different origin than most. When I was 5 years old, I had an unfortunate accident that resulted in me losing my foot. I don’t remember much from…
What to Expect at Oshkosh 2023
EAA AirVenture 2023. Don't miss the opportunity to visit Flight Outfitters in Hangar B, Booth number 2039 to discover our latest aviation products and accessories. Whether you're a seasoned pilot or a rookie, we've got something for everyone…
Meet the Winners of the 2023 Pilot Your Own Adventure Contest
Grand Prize Winner - Shelbe Jarrett
Based on the enthusiasm from last year, we weren’t surprised to get a lot of entries for EAA’s Pilot Your Own Adventure Contest, supported by Flight Outfitters. Our panel of judges carefully read all…
2 New Airport Diagram T-Shirts added to collection
We've added two new airport diagram t-shirt designs to our popular line - Lake Hood Seaplane Base and Daytona Beach International airport. These t-shirts are a must have for any pilot or aviation enthusiast, and are perfect for hanging out at…
The Little Auster
THE PYOA CONTEST 5TH PLACE STORY
By: Justin SpenceIt all started back in 1947 when off the Auster of England assembly line rolled a shining new Auster J2 Arrow. An aircraft very similar to the Taylorcraft BC-12. It wasn’t known at the…
Unbroken Chain
THE PYOA CONTEST 3RD PLACE STORY
By: Matthew Northway
“CLEAR.” I walk the 8-foot wooden prop through its arc below the nose of this Brunner-Winkle Bird. A cloud of smoke blooms and the engine settles into a throaty chuff-chuff-chuffing…
Full House
THE PYOA CONTEST 2ND PLACE STORY
By: Dewey Davenport
On June 28, 2016, I became the caretaker of one of the most important aircraft in the American barnstorming era. In 1927, Ivan Gates, general manager and co-owner of the Gates Flying Circus,…
A Taperwing’s Tapestry
THE PYOA CONTEST GRAND PRIZE WINNING STORY
By: Brittany Lozier Moon
As a middle school teacher, when I introduce myself to my students, I always tell them that I grew up at the airport. The questionable looks and glances always…
Fly Before You Drive: Solo on 16th Birthday
For as long as I can remember, I could not wait to become a pilot. I was so impatient to fly that I wanted to be ready to solo on my 16th birthday, the very first day I could legally fly an airplane by myself. This is the story of how I made that dream come true, and the people who helped and inspired me along the way.
EAA’s The Green Dot — Flight Outfitters Founder Mark Glassmeyer
The Green Dot is a podcast created by aviation enthusiasts for their fellow aviation enthusiasts. The podcast features EAA and aviation news, general aviation topics, history, personal experiences from hosts and guests, and plenty more. This…
Pilot Your Own Adventure Trailer
Last summer we handed over the keys to the Pilot Your Own Adventure #FOcamper to Josh Flowers from Aviation101films and Chelsea Smith (@highmaintenance_chels) to take it on an adventure of a lifetime. They traveled all over the country before…
#Osh21 Recap
CHECK OUT OUR RECAP VIDEO
Following the Oregon and California Trails
The PYOA Contest Grand Prize Winning Story
by Peter Shannon
In the pioneer days, Saint Joseph, Missouri defined the frontier. Before the transcontinental railroad and telegraph, it was a natural assembly point for westbound pioneer wagon trains.…
The Mass Mass Airport Tour: A Visit to All of Massachusetts’ Public Use Airports in 24 Hours
The PYOA Contest 2nd Place Story
By Sheera Kaizerman
My boyfriend Reid loves to collect things. I don’t necessarily mean physical things, but for as long as I’ve known him, he’s always had a to do list. Sure, the list has mundane things…
Amphitheatre in the Sky – “Infinite Highway of the Air”: From Alabama to Alaska
The PYOA Contest 3rd Place Story
By Michael Gerhardt
These are the quiet airborne moments, when we look at the endless wonder below and around us. We marvel “…enviously on the birds soaring freely through space, at full speed, above all…
Wings of Friendship
The PYOA Contest 4th Place Story
By Tucker Axum
“You just won the lottery,” my boss said inside our subterranean bunker. “A free trip to Kenya courtesy of Uncle Sam.”By free trip, he meant a dangerous counter-terrorism assignment…
A Circum-navigational Flight Around the United States
The PYOA Contest 5th Place Story
By Erica Zangwill
After passing my instrument written exam, I figured if we were going to spend the money on an instrument rating, why not make it a bit more exciting than just flying approaches in the local…
BEHIND THE SCENES – PILOT YOUR OWN ADVENTURE CONTEST TRIAL RUN
Practice makes perfect, as they say, so in order to perfect our Oshkosh campground setup for our Pilot Your Own Adventure Contest, we made a trial run. This year, a lucky winner will be provided the use of our unique teardrop camper on a premier…
PLANETALK: FLIGHT OUTFITTERS AT AIRVENTURE
Phil Lightstone of PlaneTalk stopped by our booth at Oshkosh this year to interview Mark, our president and founder. Take a listen here, and be sure to check out all of PlaneTalk's podcasts!The Flight Outfitters booth at EAA AirventureABOUT…