DreamFlight Charities is encouraging students and families to join them to preflight a real aircraft, sit at the controls of their mobile flight simulators, and learn what it actually takes to become a pilot – all before many of them are even old enough to drive.
That’s exactly what’s waiting at DreamFlight Charities’ OpenSkies Flight Club Open House event, happening Saturday, August 15th from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Capital City Airport in Frankfort, Kentucky. It’s free to attend with RSVP, open to students and families, and it’s the easiest way to find out whether aviation is the path for you – no experience, and no commitment, required.
What to Expect
We built this event around one question: what does a curious 13-to-18-year-old actually want to know about becoming a pilot? So instead of a lecture, you’ll get a hands-on afternoon:
- Learn how flight training really works — straight from the people who teach it, so you know exactly what to expect as a student pilot.
- Tour the airport and preflight an aircraft — walk the ramp, check out a real plane up close, and learn the same walk-around inspection every pilot performs before takeoff.
- Take the controls in our flight simulation lab — get a genuine feel for flying without ever leaving the ground.
- Meet the OpenSkies Flight Club — and find out how to make this the start of something bigger, not just a one-time visit.
We’re also glad to have Wings Flight Enterprises, NexGen Flight Academy, and C2K Aviation on hand — real working pilots and instructors who can answer the questions a website never quite can.
Why Join OpenSkies Flight Club
The Open House is just the front door. OpenSkies Flight Club is where it turns into a real head start on an aviation career — built specifically for students, based out of Frankfort, and priced to be within reach at $150 a year. Membership includes:
- Nearly 8 hours of logged ground school instruction annually
- Direct access to Discovery Flights and DreamFlight’s scholarship applications
- Lunch included at every monthly meeting
- Hands-on STEM activities, field trips, and special-event access
- Real student leadership and volunteer opportunities
- A growing network of aviation professionals and enthusiasts across Kentucky
It’s a club designed around a simple idea: the earlier a student gets real exposure to aviation, the more doors open later — for flight training, for scholarships, for a career they might not have known was possible.
A Sneak Peak at the Year Ahead
Members who join this fall won’t just be sitting in a classroom. Over the coming year, OpenSkies students will dig into everything from the four forces of flight to airport signs and weather briefings — and then go put it into practice in the flight sim, tackling traffic patterns, crosswind landings, and full cross-country flights.
Guest speakers throughout the year bring in specialties most students never get exposed to this early: tailwheel flying, glass cockpits, mountain and backcountry flying, multi-engine aircraft, even seaplanes. And it’s not all ground school — members can look forward to a field trip tied to the Spirit of Kentucky Air Race, a HalloWings Trunk-or-Treat, and photos with Santa come the holidays.
It’s a full year of aviation, community, and mentorship — and August 15 is where it starts.
RSVP Today!
Spots are limited, so don’t wait. Reserve your seat at this link, or reach out with your questions by contacting us at 270.849.5765 or emailing info@dreamflightcharities.org today!
Whether you’re a student who’s always looked up when a plane flies over, or a parent wondering if this could be the thing that lights a fire — come see for yourself. The sky really is open.