Tacoma Narrows’ Airport Day Inspires Next Generation of Aviators

Vintage airplanes and cars, and Young Eagles flights encourage lifelong passion.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, September 01, 2026 at 08:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Trish WIlliams (right) poses with Violet Weir, a senior in high school who has been building airplanes with EAA Chapter 406 for several years. Weire has earned several scholarships and is pursuing her pilot certificate. [Credit: Meg Godlewski]

Key Takeaways:

Tacoma Narrows Airport Day functions as an open house, featuring displays of vintage aircraft and cars, booths from aviation businesses, and public agencies to engage the community with aviation.
A key highlight of the event is the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Young Eagles program, which provides free introductory flights to children aged 8-17, aiming to inspire the next generation of aviators.
The success of these community aviation events, particularly the Young Eagles flights, relies heavily on meticulous preparation, safety, and dedicated volunteers like Trish Williams, who has organized over a thousand flights.

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Do you remember the first time someone took you to the airport and you had a chance to get up close with a small airplane? I do.

I was 4 years old. It was a J-3 Cub owned by a man my father worked with. There was a celebration at the airport, and owners were allowing kids to get into the cockpits of their airplanes. The memory of that day surfaces for me every time I see a Piper Cub on display at an airport, such as the 1946 model on display at Tacoma Narrows Airport (KTIW) over the weekend as part of its annual Airport Day.