WELCOME to a most extraordinary group of aviators, the United Flying Octogenarians (UFO). Founded in 1982 with just a handful of pilots, we have grown to around 1,700 members worldwide, all of whom have acted as a certificated pilot in command (PIC) on or after their 80th birthday. We invite you to learn more about who we are.
UFO exists to promote longevity, safety and, especially, fellowship among senior pilots. We represent the interests of senior pilots worldwide and aim to inspire youth to fly.
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Membership at a Glance
UFO Fly-in to Western Antique Aero
and Auto Musuem (WAAAM) Annual Fly-in
September 11-13, 2026
Initial WAAAM figures indicate there were about 2000 overall participants, and 225 planes which flew into the event. We promoted UFO with a focus on our members in the western region (i.e., Washington, Oregon, and California). Most participants arrived on Friday, September 11. Saturday WAAAM Fly-in events were for pilots, and Sunday activities were for pilots and
the general public. The event organized a beer garden, lunches, and special catered dinners on Friday and Saturday evenings.
WAAAM is a 20-year-old private 501(c)3 organization with a growing display of 300 plus antique aircraft and autos of special interest to our members. As one UFO participant, who has attended many regional type clubs, EAA, AOPA, etc. events, stated, “WAAAM has the best permanent display of fully operational antique autos and aircraft I have seen”. Many of our members have personal operation knowledge of these machines and some own one or more. A sizable portion of the displayed autos and aircraft have been donated to WAAAM for safekeeping by their owners. WAAAM also has an on-site restoration shop.
One of our goals was to facilitate contact between potential new UFO new members and our existing members attending the event from California Oregon, Washington, and Ohio. We were challenged by varied arrival and departure times, and weather blocking arrival from the North. While WAAAM does not require event registration, a poll of our members showed about 20 UFO planned to attend. We suggested members wear their UFO hats and promoted a couple of places to meet throughout the weekend. We also had a UFO display table in a high traffic area to facilitate contacts between existing UFO members and general event attendees who might be interested in joining UFO. This worked quite well. We also organized special UFO visit/lunch to the
nearby historic Mount Hood Timberline Lodge on Sunday, which several UFO participants attended.
I would like to thank our UFOs who attended and helped implement the 2026 event. In particular I would like to thank UFO members Bob and Pat Wagner who came all the way from Ohio, and are who are known worldwide for their international aviation work. This includes “wing walking performances” in their 1941 Stearman which is prominently displayed at WAAAM, and they spent a lot of time at our UFO table display promoting UFO to existing and potential new members.
~ Dave Fretwell
UFO Event Manager
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