DUBLIN, Va. – A free, family-friendly aviation event returns to the New River Valley Airport in Pulaski County this Saturday, and organizers say it could be one of the most important things a young person in the region does this summer.
The 4th Annual Fly-In is scheduled for Saturday, May 30, at the New River Valley Airport in Dublin. Foster Aviation is hosting the event alongside Pulaski County, with activities planned for all ages — from static aircraft displays and drone demonstrations to a crowd-favorite flour bombing competition.
Free flights available for kids 8 to 18
The most in-demand offering is the Young Eagles flight program, which provides free introductory flights for children ages 8 to 18 through the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA).
“The biggest hit hot ticket item that we like to do is the Young Eagles flights,” said Dustin Foster, owner of Foster Aviation. “It is an introductory flight for kids to get them excited about aviation. It does require pre-registration. There’s only a couple of spots left this year.”
Pre-registration is required. Organizers say only a few spots remain.
A full day of aviation activities
The event schedule includes a drone demonstration by Accurate AG at 11 a.m., followed by a presentation from the Blue Ridge Soaring Society about gliders and their glider port in Newcastle, Virginia, just north of Roanoke. At 1 p.m., pilots will compete in the flour bombing event — dropping bags of flour from their aircraft and trying to land as close as possible to a small target on the ground.
“We actually set the record our first year. I think we got seven feet,” said Clay Remington, Director of Maintenance at Foster Aviation. “This year we’re going to hit the target. That’s what we’re going for. So we’re going to be dead on.”
The Blue Ridge Soaring Society will also trailer in a glider for a static display, giving attendees a close-up look at the aircraft.
In the parking lot, visitors can expect food trucks, bouncy houses, and vendor booths. On the airport side, there will be static airplane displays, drone exhibits, and demonstrations showing how drone technology is being used in agriculture.
Organizers hope to revive airport’s history
Foster said the event is part of a larger effort to reconnect the community with an airport that was once a regional hub.
“The New River Valley Airport has a really rich history,” Foster said. “Piedmont Airlines used to operate out of the New River Valley Airport. There used to be a skydiving club here. There used to be a lot of industry operating out of the New River Valley Airport. And then just within the last 20 years, that’s declined.”
Foster said he and his team are working with Pulaski County to restore that activity. “We’re excited to work with Pulaski County to bring it back to what it used to be and to be able to offer events like these fly-ins,” he said.
Remington said his own introduction to aviation came from simply stumbling upon the airport one day. “I grew up in this area and I didn’t even know that the airport was here until I walked up here one day, and that’s when I kind of got sucked into aviation,” he said.
Aviation industry looks to the next generation
Both Foster and Remington emphasized that getting young people interested in aviation is about more than one event — they say the industry depends on it.
“General aviation especially needs the youth. It is a dying industry,” Remington said. “So our goal is to really just push as many young people as we can into it.”
Remington added that aviation offers multiple career paths. “You can go to the unmanned side with drones, you can go into general aviation, go into commercial aviation. We just really want to expose people to the different avenues of aviation.”
Pulaski County Director of Tourism Erika Tolbert said the airport fits naturally into the county’s broader recreational identity alongside Claytor Lake, hiking trails, and the motorsports park.
“For our youth to have something cool like that — to be able to come and see the airplanes and even take a free flight — it’s just a way to get kids excited,” Tolbert said. “And even our older adults that love to come out and just see the airplanes.”