Event Cancelled For 2015, Will Return Next Year, Organizers Say

The Virginia Regional Festival of Flight, an annual Fly-In held at Suffolk Executive Airport each spring, will not be held this year so that exciting reorganizational plans can be initiated to improve and expand the event for 2016.

After 17 years of successfully sponsoring the Virginia Regional Festival of Flight, the Virginia Aviation Council has decided to forgo holding the 2015 event, scheduled for May, so that it can be refocused to encourage additional participation and new activities.  Efforts will be made to enhance the program for the statewide fly-in, including offering more opportunities to attract youth to flying and to inform them about thrilling aviation careers available to them.
 
Randall Burdette, Executive Director, Virginia Department of Aviation, and Ray Batton, President, Virginia Aviation Council, plan to invite additional Virginia aviation-oriented organizations to participate in the planning process, beginning this spring, to identify ways to grow and re-brand the 2016 Virginia Regional Festival of Flight as a leading venue to serve the needs of the aviation community across the entire state.
 
The Virginia Aviation Council is a non-profit Virginia corporation formed in 1996, and made up of aviation organizations, which operates the Virginia Regional Festival of Flight.

The Virginia Department of Aviation’s (DOAV) vision is to become the standard of excellence among state aviation agencies and make the Virginia aviation system the model air transportation system providing Virginia communities economic development opportunities and convenient access to the National air transportation system. DOAV’s mission is to cultivate an advanced aviation system that is safe, secure and provides for economic development; promote aviation education and awareness; and provide the safest and most efficient flight services for the Commonwealth leadership and state agencies.

FMI: www.doav.virginia.gov