It’s always nice to involve the community in events hosted by the Port of South Louisiana and two weeks ago we were able to do just that. The Port of South Louisiana Executive Regional Airport held its Second Annual Fly-In to promote and salute the Pilots N Paws organization.

Pilots N Paws is a 501c3 organization that brings together volunteers from across the country to connect general aviation pilots with rescue volunteers to transport animals in need. These transports rescue adoptable dogs and/or cats from kill shelters and moves them into a safe place with an adopter or a foster home. Cross-country and multi-state flights use a tag-team method where pilots fly for up to 300 miles for a pet hand-off rendezvous with another pilot. Pilots N Paws’ first official flight took place on February 8, 2008 and since, the number of small-plane general aviation pilot volunteers has climbed to over 1,800, with 8,200 registered users participating on the website.

This year’s event brought some very special guests- four adoptable dogs from St. John Parish Animal Shelter. The pups were brought to the airport by volunteers from Froggy’s Mission. The foursome certainly enjoyed spending the day out of the shelter and soaking up hugs and belly rubs from those in attendance.

Despite the warm temperatures, many attended the event: pilots from surrounding-area airports, Port-resident pilots, as well as members of various volunteer groups [e.g., Froggy’s Mission, Animal Rescue of New Orleans (ARNO), and the Friends of St John Animal Shelter]. Attendees enjoyed jambalaya and hot dogs. In addition, various items were on hand for purchase, such as Pilots N Paws caps, books, and t-shirts, with all proceeds benefitting the organization.

As Port of South Louisiana Executive Director, I encourage all pilots to consider being part of this organization.

Port of South Louisiana Executive Regional Airport continues to provide new and expanding resources for the River Parishes general aviation and business aviation community. Next week, the Port of South Louisiana will commence with the construction of new T-Hangars, which will 10 aircraft in individual private units that allow aircraft owners immediate access to the runway on their own schedule. Construction is expected to be completed in October of this year. The Port has commitments for most of the units. However, we would like to be filled to capacity, so if you are interested, contact Vincent Caire or Lisa Braud at 985-652-9278 for more information.

Paul Aucoin is executive director of the Port of South Louisiana. For more information, call 985-652-9278.