On April 13, aviation enthusiasts flew, drove and even walked to the annual event known as Purdue Aviation Day, hosted at the Purdue University Airport (LAF) in Lafayette, Indiana.
This all-day event sees thousands of attendees – from dedicated aviation geeks to the general public – come together to listen to special guest speakers, enjoy food from local food trucks and, of course, check out all the aircraft that make an appearance on the LAF ramp.
“There’s really something for everyone in the family to enjoy,” said Purdue Aviation Day Executive Director and President, Jonah Rifkin. “My favorite part of all this is knowing people can interact with the aviation community, maybe even for the first time. They learn at this event that they can be a part of this community in so many different ways, whether that be as a pilot or a mechanic or anything else they can think of.”
Growing every year
Even though Purdue Aviation Day began over 100 years ago, it was revamped by a group of students in 2016 as a small, fly-in event for aviation enthusiasts. Since then, the event has grown exponentially and sees all kinds of aircraft, from Cessnas and Pipers to military aircraft and even a brand-new Envoy-operated Embraer 175 (E175) on the ramp.
“As a Purdue graduate who helped bring Purdue Aviation Day back when I was a student here, it means the world to me to be able to fly in our newest E175 as the presenting sponsor for this event,” said Envoy Manager of Pilot Recruitment, Captain Austin Decker. “Seeing how much this event has grown since we first brought it back is just nothing short of incredible, and I hope to see it get bigger and bigger every single year.”
This year, Purdue Aviation Day had it’s very first air show, courtesy of the A-10C Thunderbolt II Demonstration Team, where attendees watched an astonishing performance put on by talented pilots in military aircraft.
It’s safe to say, Purdue Aviation Day outdid itself yet again with this year’s event. Here’s to an even better event in 2025!