‘Airplanes and Coffee’ Group Reaches New Heights

Chances are good that if you’re involved in aviation—as a pilot, student, relative of a pilot, or even just a fan—you’re already aware of the “Airplanes and Coffee” Facebook group.

As of this week, Airplanes and Coffee has about 454,300 members on Facebook, making it one of the largest aviation-focused gatherings in the world. Members post photos and videos from their personal flights and airshows, track and observe commercial aircraft, and share aviation-related news and resources.

In addition to serving as a massive online forum for aircraft- and pilot-related discussions, the nonprofit organization behind the page hosts in-person fly-ins about once per month. It has staged over 50 events since its founding and provided over 1,000 free discovery flights, with the goal of spreading awareness about aviation and inspiring a new generation of pilots, technicians, and enthusiasts.

Most Airplane and Coffee events are held near Dallas, though the group is branching out to neighboring states such as Oklahoma and now has a presence at the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida, and EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

“We’re trying to be that bridge and help people understand what kind of opportunities exist, and for people already in the community, it’s a place to have fun,” said co-founder John Naugle. “We’ve had a handful of people decide to pursue careers in aviation through meeting at our events.”

Naugle, who resides in Flower Mound, Texas, said the group was founded in 2020 amid a dearth of in-person, flying-related functions. A student pilot at the time, he was aware of a Facebook group called “Cars and Coffee” and decided to create a similar online gathering point for the aviation community.

Together with Mike Roberts and Russ Keith, Naugle put on the first Airplanes and Coffee fly-in at Addison Airport (KADS). About 20 or 30 people attended, Naugle said, and though no one flew in, it was a good experience, and the organizers decided to conduct more events.

A later gathering at Mid-Way Regional Airport (KJWY) in Midlothian, Texas, drew an “enormous turnout,” with 50 to 60 people showing up in their airplanes.

“That’s when we realized we were on to something,” Naugle said.

Momentum continued to build, with the meetups growing larger and the group’s reach expanding across Texas and then eventually the country. A core of regular volunteers formed, channeling their passion for aviation into the fly-in events and a growing number of other endeavors.

“One of the things that helped us was starting during COVID,” Naugle said. “Everything had kind of stopped. We were holding outdoor events. We got in at a good time, plus the passion of volunteers, all of it kind of meshed well together and it worked out.”

Several months after its founding, Airplanes and Coffee organized itself as a 501(c)(3), allowing the group to raise money for aviation-related scholarships. Naugle said the funds typically go toward practical exams for pilots and mechanics. To date, the organization has awarded 26 scholarships with the money its members have collected.

The scope and complexity of the group’s operations requires a sizable team. Airplanes and Coffee now has a seven-member board, a full Facebook moderating crew, and about 100 volunteers who regularly help stage the fly-ins.

Naugle’s own trajectory from enthusiast to student to pilot has helped him appreciate both the allure of flying and the community formed around it. He had no real exposure to aviation until Roberts, who he met through work, offered to take him up in his airplane.

“Everything about it was fascinating,” Naugle said. “The adrenaline, the adventure.”

With Roberts’ encouragement, Naugle pursued his private pilot certificate, hiring different instructors to teach him. He ultimately earned his certificate in 2021.

“I’ve gotten to make so many new friends,” he said. “It’s been a really fun journey becoming a pilot.”

Looking Forward

Six years in, Airplanes and Coffee is still looking to grow, both geographically and in terms of the types of education it provides.

“Our goal is to expand because we’ve had so much interest and so many requests to have events in other areas, so that is in the works,” Naugle said. “We just have to make sure the system is in place for expansion.”

That could take the form of new chapters in other parts of the U.S.

“We would love to eventually open up other chapters in areas where it makes sense and have events there,” he said. “That’s the dream—to have an event going on in Dallas, Texas, this weekend and also one going on in San Diego or Florida. We want to bring the events closer to our members.”

While Airplanes and Coffee already speaks to classrooms and at career days, Naugle said he would like to expand that outreach and coordinate school visits with fly-ins in the area. Ideally, students would hear a presentation about an event near them, then head to the hosting airport after school or that weekend.

“It’s really incredible to see kids get engaged and think about aviation as something they can do and be involved in, maybe for the first time,” he said. “The visits are always great, but of course that’s nothing compared to what you can show them at an event in person.”