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Photo gallery: Gator Fly-In Armed Services and Appreciation Day
By Delia Rose Sauer
March 29, 2026 at 2:54 AM EDT
The University Air Center hosted the 10th annual Gator Fly-In Armed Services and Appreciation Day on Saturday.
The event offers a space for pilots to showcase their planes and for attendees to admire military aircraft typically inaccessible to the everyday civilian.
Attendees could take rides on a helicopter for a tour of The Swamp, or Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. They could also fly through Gainesville airspace on the Fairchild PT-19, an aircraft model used during World War II.
The event honored fallen military with a “Flown West” ceremony, an open-mic chat in which UF alumni Air Force veterans shared their stories and presented a “Best Civilian Aircraft Award.”
Throughout the festivities, attendees enjoyed live music and food trucks.
The event offers a space for pilots to showcase their planes and for attendees to admire military aircraft typically inaccessible to the everyday civilian.
Attendees could take rides on a helicopter for a tour of The Swamp, or Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. They could also fly through Gainesville airspace on the Fairchild PT-19, an aircraft model used during World War II.
The event honored fallen military with a “Flown West” ceremony, an open-mic chat in which UF alumni Air Force veterans shared their stories and presented a “Best Civilian Aircraft Award.”
Throughout the festivities, attendees enjoyed live music and food trucks.