MADISONVILLE, Ky. (WEHT) — Aviators across the country are flying all the way to Madisonville Kentucky for the annual Beech Bash in the Bluegrass. On Friday, they’re learning from none other than former NASA astronaut Jay Apt.
“It’s our future to go out and explore,” says Apt. “That’s what humans do.”
Pilots nationwide are coming together to learn from one another about what it means to love the art of aviation. Beech crafts to bonanzas flown in to give local aviators a taste at what it means to fly high.
“The people here are earning wings, credits and getting educated, but at the same time, we managed to capture the family aspect of it,” says Beech Bash founder Sam Guirguis. “The ability to fellowship with your other aviators.”
Apt was one of the special guest speakers at Beech Bash. He says seeing families come together for the event is one of the reasons why loves attending.
“Absolutely fabulous for my mission of taking my family to any place that they want to go, and this is a family-oriented event,” says Apt. “I am so happy that anybody can bring their wife, their husband, their kids here and learn all about aviation and safety.”
Having performed multiple spacewalks in his career at NASA, Apt says it excites him to see how many local aviators eventually find a passion for aerospace.
“Space is wonderful,” says Apt. “Flying around in zero G is like all the dreams you had when you were ten years old. It’s just wonderful. But you know what? Walking out the window with your own two eyes and seeing the earth. That’s just great.”
“The reality is, it’s just turned out that we just all really enjoy each other’s company, and the fellowship here is like no other,” says Guirguis.
There’s still a full day of events for Beech Bash in the Bluegrass, including an airshow at 8:45 p.m. on Saturday.
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