Despite threatening weather throughout the Memorial Day weekend, the 28th annual Operation Skyhook proceeded at Pine Bluff’s Grider Field.
A few events were postponed or canceled due to rain delays, but some of the more anticipated activities went forward on track.
Co-air boss Fred Lewis, who flew from Houston by airline, said, “We didn’t have quite as many fliers this year because of the weather forecast, but even so there were over 30 aircraft show up.”
He further explained how Friday’s aerial competitions, including the favorite flour bomb drop, along with free “Young Eagle” airplane rides for kids were able to be completed.
“We had three planes taking up young people after we finished the pilot competitions,” he said.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Lewis added that due to a cloud ceiling that dropped as low as 1,000 feet on Saturday, flying was shut down early, and there were no kids rides as result.
One regular attendee, who pilots his plane from New Orleans each year, is retired U.S. Army Col. Palmer Sullens Jr. He said, “It’s always great to come back to the home of Black Pilots of America here in Pine Bluff. The weather has been a factor so far. Everybody is ready to go, but we haven’t been able to do all the things that we’ve done in the past.”
Sunday saw the balloon burst contest begin at 10 a.m. and continue into mid-afternoon.
A great deal of impressive flying was on display as pilots of all ages in a wide variety of aircraft matched skills flying their propeller through a rapidly rising helium-filled balloon.
One favorite part of the Memorial Day tradition is visiting with the aviators from across the country and learning their pathway to the skies.
Ferguson Evans, who flew his twin-engine Cessna 310 from Washington, D.C., managed to pop several of the orange balloons.
This has proven to be more difficult with a twin-prop airplane than with single-engine models.
Evans’ wife shared how her husband grew up in rural South Carolina. As a child, he watched crop dusters and knew from the earliest age he wanted to become a pilot. Remarkably, his first trip up in an airplane was during his very first flight lesson. He followed a military career path beginning with Air Force ROTC.
He was first in his class as a cadet at South Carolina State University, going on to become an Army Ranger and flight instructor.
A group of young fliers who piloted three planes to Pine Bluff from Seattle are the Red-Tailed Hawks — Axel Scales, Vismay Patel, Asher Tungsvik, David Benton, Jaylen Palmer and their mentor, Jesse D. Hayes IV. Their long-distance journey totaled 20 hours, with two overnight stops and six fuel stops.
Group member Palmer is a sophomore at the Air Force Academy and hopes to someday fly F-22 Raptors.
Another member of their group, Tungsvik, is the previous year’s Top Gun, scoring the most overall points in combined competitions for 2024.
On Sunday, he burst 10 of the elusive balloons before finally missing.
Hayes led the group of young aviators in their cross-country flight. “We’re the largest BPA chapter in the country, with 155 members,” he said.
“We base our success on the fact that we run three flight camps each year and conduct year-round youth camps. We also do a once-a-year Flight Lessons for Youth program to get young people involved and excited about flying.”
A remarkable young person in attendance who was flying with the Seattle chapter is Kamora Freeman.
She was the youngest African American female to ever earn her pilot’s license at the age of 17.
“My mom signed me up for a BPA aviation scholarship when I was 12,” she said. “Once I was aloft, the view from up there excited me so that I knew I was born to fly. I came to Operation Skyhook two years ago and met Mr. Hayes with the Red-Tailed Hawks. He invited me to Seattle to pursue training. They paid for my airline ticket and my registration in the program. After the initial program, I stayed four more days, continuing to fly with them.”
At the age of 18 now, the Staten Island, N.Y., native aspires to become a commercial airline pilot someday.
Another young woman who has been a participant in the “Young Eagles” free flight offering for several years is Kylie Rodenberg. She was back again for 2025 and said, “I hope all the kids that come out today get the experience I’ve had over the past years. To see the city of Pine Bluff from up there is always amazing and inspiring.”
Black Pilots of America national President Bran Worthington said, “I’ve been at the helm of BPA for three years now. Operation Skyhook is the only event of its kind. It’s phenomenal for airplane owners to get kids out to experience aviation firsthand. We are inspiring future aviators and promoting the love of flying.”
Operation Skyhook participants come in all ages. There aren’t too many octogenarians who continue to enjoy flying their own aircraft.
Eighty-four-year-old James Brown of Pine Bluff is one of those unusual cases.
Local aviation commission chairman and treasurer for the Arkansas Thunderbirds BPA chapter Ken Johnson said, “James is a genuine and unique person because he is still flying his Cessna 150 in his 80s. I only hope I can be alive and still enjoying aviation at that age. He is a longtime member of Black Pilots of America and got his pilot’s license in his 60s, 20-odd years ago.”
Johnson added, “Brown is active around the airport and a strong supporter of Grider Field.”
Referring to his friends at Pine Bluff Regional Airport, Brown said, “These are great people who know their business and stay on top of it. Doug Hale is in charge, and he is a top-notch guy.”
As the balloon burst competition wound down at 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, airport officials and staff began removing the 30-odd aircraft from the runway apron and parking them in hangers for protection from approach of an anticipated storm.
The weekend concluded with the Sunday evening awards ceremony.