About the Association

Winter Haven Pilots Association, Inc. is a volunteer, not-for-profit association of pilots, student pilots, and people who love airplanes, based at Winter Haven Regional Airport (GIF). Membership is open to anyone who supports our purposes. You do not need a pilot certificate or an airplane.

Our purposes

From Section 2.1 of our bylaws, the Association works to:

• Promote aviation safety through safety seminars, proficiency programs, and the sharing of safety information among pilots and the flying public.

• Educate the public, and young people in particular, about aviation, aeronautics, and careers in aviation, including through airport open houses, youth aviation days, and school outreach.

• Provide scholarships and other financial help for flight training, aviation maintenance training, and aviation-related education, awarded on an objective and nondiscriminatory basis.

• Support Winter Haven Regional Airport as a community and educational asset, including by helping the airport with public events and serving as a resource to the City of Winter Haven on general aviation matters.

Our history

Winter Haven has had a pilots association before. The original Winter Haven Pilots Association brought local pilots together at the field, and many of its members still fly here.

In 2026 a group of local pilots set out to put it on a new footing as a nonprofit focused on safety, education, and support for the airport. Officers were appointed in September, and on October 3, 2026, pilots and neighbors met under the oaks for the first general meeting, signed up as members, and voted to carry on the name Winter Haven Pilots Association.

The airport's own story goes back further. Local property owners donated the first land for an airfield in 1925. It was named Gilbert Field in 1942, after Dr. Robert E. Gilbert, a World War I pilot and flight surgeon, and the Army used it as an air base during World War II.

If you were part of the original association, we'd like to hear from you.

What we do

• Monthly meeting and fly-in. The first Saturday of every month, 11 AM to 1 PM in the grove, right after the EAA Chapter 229 meeting.

• Weekly fly-outs. A regular group flies out together every week, and we want to grow it. Ask about it at a monthly meeting.

• Quarterly potlucks. Four times a year in the grove. Dates go on the events page as they're set.

• Annual lunch. Once a year, for members and friends of the Association.

• Safety and education. Safety seminars, youth aviation days, and scholarships are what we're organized to do, and we'll add them as the Association grows.

Where we meet

We meet in Hangar 10 for monthly meetings and in the grove, the oaks and picnic tables beside the hangars for fly-ins and cookouts.

Flying in? Land at GIF and join us in the grove. Check the airport information for GIF before you go.

Questions

Do I need to be a pilot to join?

No. Membership is open to anyone who supports what we do. Students and student pilots, aircraft owners, retired pilots, and people who just love airplanes are all welcome.

How much are dues?

The Board sets dues for the calendar year, January through December. The join page shows the current amounts. If you join on or after October 1, your dues cover the following year.

How do I pay?

After you submit the join form, we'll show you how to pay by Zelle, or the Treasurer will email you instructions. You can also pay by cash or check at a monthly meeting.

Are dues tax-deductible?

See our nonprofit status on this page. We don't describe any payment as tax-deductible until the IRS recognizes the Association as a 501(c)(3) organization.

I signed up on paper at the October 3 meeting. Do I need to join online?

No. We're adding everyone from the sign-up sheets, and the officers will follow up with you. However, signing up online allows you to update your contact information and interests.

How can I help?

Come to a monthly meeting and tell one of the officers what you'd like to do. Events, outreach, and the website all need volunteers. You can also email hello@flywinterhaven.org.