Aviation Day shows how local airport connects the community 

Matt Neyens knows most people see an airport as a place where airplanes take off and land. Aviation Day is his chance to show them everything happening in between and how aviation connects with the community beyond the runway.

As manager of West Michigan Regional Airport, he sees what happens there throughout the year: young people discovering aviation, businesses relying on air travel and volunteer pilots helping patients reach medical care far from home.

More than 800 people got a glimpse of that world during Aviation Day on Aug. 19.

“Our local airport is immensely valuable to the community, and not just for giving us an economic advantage,” Neyens says. “Planes are only part of what happens here. Kids learn here, patients gain access to medical transportation, and on Saturday hundreds of neighbors shared breakfast together.”

The free annual event opened the airport to visitors and gave several aviation organizations an opportunity to show how they serve the community.

For some children, that introduction happened thousands of feet above the ground.

More than 80 youth signed up for free flights in light aircraft through the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles program. Flight Path offered another entry point with flight simulators inside the hangar, allowing children and adults to get behind the controls without leaving the ground.

The Michigan Flight Museum added a piece of aviation history, taking three groups of passengers aboard “Hairless Joe,” a World War II-era C-47 transport aircraft.

Creating connection

But Neyens also wanted people to see another side of aviation — its ability to connect people with resources they might otherwise struggle to reach.

Wings of Mercy, an Aviation Day partner, coordinates free flights for patients who need medical care far from home. Volunteer pilots use privately owned aircraft to transport patients, helping remove transportation as a barrier to receiving care.

The nonprofit opened the morning with its West Runway 5K, which drew 184 runners, up from 135 last year. Top finishers earned seats aboard a C-47 flight later in the day.

Wings of Mercy also hosted its CareAffaire pancake breakfast, using the gathering to raise money for patient flights and introduce more people to its mission.

“Not everyone needs us, but we want to be there for the people who do,” Wings of Mercy Managing Director Grace Spelde says. “A morning like this puts us in front of hundreds of families at once, and every plate and registration goes back to flying patients where they need to go.”

Other attractions included a classic car show hosted by the Vintage Car Club of Holland, burgers from ZOMburgers, and ice cream from Polar Patrol.

For Neyens, bringing those different activities together helps make an airport that many residents might otherwise drive past feel like part of their community.

By having the opportunity to walk into a hangar, try a flight simulator, climb aboard an airplane, or share breakfast with their neighbors, visitors could experience what Neyens sees throughout the year — an airport that connects people not only to destinations, but also to education, opportunities, and help when they need it.

West Michigan Regional Airport is jointly owned by the cities of Holland and Zeeland and Park Township. The public-use airport serves Holland, Zeeland, and surrounding communities.

Photos courtesy of the West Michigan Regional Airport