Creating a community around Airplanes & Coffee

By JAVIER VERA

In September 2020, three enthusiastic Dallas area pilots saw the need to contribute to general aviation culture, as well as promote aviation to younger generations.

Such lofty goals started with something simple: A chance for pilots and aviation enthusiasts to get together and enjoy a good cup of coffee.

The timing made sense: The COVID-19 pandemic had generated months of confinement, and many people were ready to get back together with friends and like-minded souls to talk about what they enjoyed most: Aviation.

And so the three friends — Mike Roberts, Russ Keith, and John Naugle — hosted the first Airplanes & Coffee Sept. 5, 2020, at Addison Airport (KADS).

The events became monthly and by the time I attended my first Airplanes & Coffee event, the group’s Facebook page already had 6,000 members. A recent check shows that number has increased to more than 50,000 members.

The events also attract an interesting variety of aircraft, from classic Cessna Skyhawks to warbirds and even jet trainers.

The first events were held at airports in Texas, but the three founders had a goal “to expand this great meeting between aviators and enthusiasts outside the state of Texas — and why not — also outside the country,” said Naugle.

On Nov. 6, 2021, the first Airplanes & Coffee event outside of Texas was held in Oklahoma at Ardmore Municipal Airport (KADM). Hundreds of people attended the event, sharing donuts, coffee, and companionship next to a great variety of airplanes. The local media even came to the event to showcase this new fly-in.

Just a few months later, on Feb. 16, 2022, the Airplanes & Coffee founders revealed during a Facebook Live broadcast that the group had achieved an even bigger goal: Receiving IRS approval as a non-profit organization.

Crossing this hurdle was of utmost importance in the plans of the organization, which was already receiving donations for the purpose of continuing to help the aviation community, according to Russ Keith.

For example, donated funds were used to conduct more than 120 Discovery Flights. The organization also is offering scholarships that cover the cost of a check ride or A&P practical test. Applications for scholarships can be filled out at the group’s website, AirplanesAndCoffee.com.

You don’t have to look far to see what impact the organization has had on the younger generation.

Take Julian Brown-Griffin, 17, who attended one of the group’s first events at Denton Enterprise Airport (KDTO).

“I originally saw the Facebook group and decided I wanted to go,” he said. “The founders welcomed me and wanted to help me, especially since I was getting into aviation at such a young age.”

At a recent event at Terrell Municipal Airport (KTRL), Julian flew in as a newly minted private pilot in a Cessna 152, having earned his certificate just five days earlier.

“It was very exciting as it was my first event arriving as a pilot,” he said, noting his mother was his first passenger.

“Upon arrival, it immediately felt like family,” he added.

His mother now has her own Airplanes & Coffee habit, keeping an eye on upcoming events and letting her son know “so we can plan our next trip,” he reported.

While the idea started with three friends, it takes a lot of help from a lot of people to make the events run smoothly, according to the founders.

“Fortunately, there are many people who donate their time and effort so that this event can be carried out in the best possible way while also respecting the safety and security protocols,” they noted during the Terrell event.

Among the volunteers, there are those who help coordinate the aircraft and vehicle parking, those who prepare and provide the delicious coffee and donuts, photographers, and more. One of the most recent additions to the volunteer ranks is Desiree Rodriguez, a young meteorology student who, through her digital platforms, showcases a weather forecast report for the days when fly-ins are held.

As word spreads about Airplanes & Coffee, more and more aviators and aviation enthusiasts are joining this community, where everyone shares their love of general aviation.

Find out more about Airplanes & Coffee on the group’s Facebook page and its website, AirplanesAndCoffee.com.