Hiller Aviation kicks off Super Bowl LIX with its annual Flying Football Fun Fest, featuring everything from launching over a thousand foam footballs out of a helicopter to piloting a robot to score a touchdown. Taking place just before the Super Bowl on Feb. 9, the event offers unique football-themed educational experiences for all ages.
“The Flying Football Fun Fest is an opportunity for people to go out and do something as part of the Super Bowl, even if they don’t care about what team’s playing. It’s still the Super Bowl,” said Willie Turner, organizer and vice president of operations.
Furthermore, each activity was tailored to a unique aspect of aviation with hands-on elements for visitors to enjoy. One key event was the bot bowl, where participants took turns controlling robots to score touchdowns in a mini stadium.
“I thought the robots were really cool, but they were kind of hard to control,” said young visitor Nadia Mondino.
Along with the bot bowl, the event held activities such as the helicopter football drop, parachute drag races, finger flick football, flying drones through goalposts, free face painting, and a bouncy house obstacle course. One goal of these activities is to engage young children with the principles of aviation so that one day, they might be encouraged to become pilots themselves.
“Whether it’s direct aviation or getting people in here for a different reason, they see aviation and learn about it, which is our overall goal,” Turner said.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the museum offers educational and volunteer opportunities to anybody interested in the field. Some adults and teenagers volunteer their time and resources to help with their weekly events and activities.
“I like how these events give kids an opportunity to learn about aviation, and they put on these interesting events,” said volunteer Saxson Lucia.
Another opportunity the organization provides is its aviation-based summer camps and programs, along with the job opportunities that come with it.
“We will have over 2,000 kids go to our camps, and for a whole week long, they’re studying and having fun building things related to aviation,” Turner said.
Along with summer camps, the organization provides a member program that allows visitors to visit the museum for free year-round. The membership also offers free access to most events and provides a pathway to visitors interested in aviation.
At the end of the event, everybody gathered outside to witness the final event of the day: the helicopter football drop. With much anticipation, a helicopter from the San Carlos Airport dropped over a thousand tiny foam footballs onto the ground, where kids were eagerly waiting to grab as many as they could.
When all was said and done, the event ended, the families left, and the football activities were put away to gear up for next year.
“I’m super excited that they do things for kids and families. It’s a great way to bring everyone together around science and aviation, which is important for all small children,” said member and Nadia Mondino’s mother, Rachell Mondino.
