Our History

FlightFest, Inc. was founded in 2021 by Brianna Elliott, VP
of Skyward Aviation, a local private jet charter company at the Washington County Airport. Skyward Aviation, with the support of AeroNational, Friend AirCare, Phillips 66, the Washington County Airport, Range Resources, and Audia, hosted this inaugural family-friendly festival on August 14, 2021! The event was held at the Washington County Airport, where activities included airplane rides, live music, bounce houses, food trucks, carnival games, craft tables and much more! The best part: FlightFest raised $5,000 for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh and Morgantown!

FlightFest started out as an idea that Brianna had for a very long time (almost 10 years to be exact)! What started out as a small 100-200 person event idea to plug her company’s business, turned into a 4000 person full-blown festival with a focus on philanthropy! “The more ideas I came up with, the bigger the festival became. After all, the sky was the limit,” exclaimed Brianna! The best part? She pulled it all off in just 8 weeks, with the help of her then assistant, Erin Sakalik, very generous sponsors and volunteers!

In 2022, Brianna decided to separate FlightFest into it’s own official charity and 501(c)(3). The event continues to grow and change each year, but the one thing that remains is the amazing community support and our commitment to philanthropy!

Meet Our Founder