Second annual Purdue Aviation Day returns to university airport

Attendees line up outside an American Eagle plane as part of the activities during the 2016 Purdue Aviation Day. (Purdue Polytechnic Institute) Download image

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue’s impact on the aviation industry is the theme of this year’s Aviation Day at Purdue University Airport.

The event, coordinated by the Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology, takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday (April 22). It is free, and the public is invited. Attendees may fly in, drive in, or walk in to celebrate Purdue aviation.

“Our theme for 2017 is ‘An Industry That Works,’” said Austin Decker, event operations co-director and an unmanned aerial systems major. “Our goal is to make this year’s event a statement of our school’s dedication and long-term impact on the aviation industry.”

PSA Airlines, the presenting sponsor for 2017, will display the CRJ-200 aircraft. Other airlines scheduled to attend include GoJet, SkyWest Airlines, Horizon and Piedmont.

Keynote speakers will include Les Abend, captain for American Airlines and aviation analyst for CNN, and Ian Kirby, aircraft engineer and former pilot for British Airways. Additional representatives from American Airlines also will be speaking.

The event will include interactive activities for all ages, historical exhibits, and a variety of aircraft on display. A full schedule of events, travel directions and parking instructions are available at polytechnic.purdue.edu/aviationday.

This is the second year for the event, which returned in 2016 following a hiatus of over a century. Last year, the now-annual event attracted approximately 2,100 people. 

Writer: Brian L. Huchel, 765-494-2084, bhuchel@purdue.edu 

Source: Austin Decker, decker14@purdue.edu