It may be one of the most fun events that graces the city of Pine Bluff. This weekend, the Black Pilots of America will conduct their Operation Skyhook event — for the 28th year — with pilots flying in from all over the country.
As the story goes, a couple of Black pilots liked to compete against each other. And then other pilots wanted in. The two originals came up with the name, and it all became official in the late 1990s. And now Pine Bluff benefits once a year from the show they put on, with an exclamation mark from the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission, which gave the organization $17,500 to put toward the expense of making the event happen.
All of the competitions have to do with flying prowess — dropping a flour “bomb” at a precise location, maneuvering a plane so the propeller hits a rising helium balloon and then landing as close to a specific location as possible.
But as they compete against each other, they also work toward the same goal of introducing flight to younger generations. At the end of each day, two hours or so are set aside for taking kids up for short flights around Grider Field Airport.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“In an effort to get more children and young people excited about flying, we love to offer kids the opportunity to see and feel what the sensation of flight is really like,” said Fred Lewis of Houston, one of the organizers.
The youngsters also get to see the other part that is special about this close-knit bunch of aviators and that is the camaraderie they all have for each other and the organization.
So if you hear the heavy drones of plane engines coming from over that way, Operation Skyhook is the reason. And if you haven’t already thought of something to do on this Memorial Day weekend, head on over and catch a glimpse of something special going on right here in the Bluff.