ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
The 2025 Liberal AirFair is set to be full of high-flying aerobatics, including from returner Matt Younkin.
Younkin has been in the aviation industry for multiple decades, having been inspired when he was young.
“I'm a third-generation pilot. My grandfather and two of his brothers were pilots, and my father was an air show pilot for about 20 years, so I'm also a second-generation air show performer. This is my 20th year doing air shows. I learned how to fly starting when I was about 14 years old, and I've been pursuing a career in professional aviation in one form or another ever since,” Younkin said. “My father was actually lost in an air show accident in 2005, and I started doing air shows to take care of some of the financial obligations left behind and also a tribute to his memory. One thing led to another, and I've been doing them ever since.”
Younkin added he is excited to return to Liberal after the AirFair coordinators had contacted him last year about participating in the event.
“The AirFair staff got in touch with me sometime last year, so I've been excited to come back to Liberal for more than a year at this point. It's great to be able to come back,” Younkin said, “I love Liberal because it's a great community, and I get to do a show in Dorothy Gale's hometown, and what's better than that? Also, Liberal isn't too far away from where I live, Arkansas, so I can take my family with me and we can make a fun weekend of it all. I want to go through the Mid-America Air Museum again, I remember they've got many, many great aircraft and other artifacts, so I'm looking forward to seeing that again. My 7-year-old son is also currently fascinated with aviation, and the last time we were there, I was showing him everything, but I think this time around, HE'S going to be telling ME everything, which will be really fun. My daughter is 15 years old now and was really young the last time we went through Liberal, and I remember us going through the little 'Wizard of Oz' park in front of the Coronado Museum, which was also really fun. Liberal is a great community and just puts on an amazing show, so I'm really excited to be part of it.”
The audience at the AirFair can expect to be highly entertained, Younkin said.
“I fly a 1943 Beech 18, which is a two-engine transporter plane not designed for aerobatics and I'll be doing and aerobatic demonstration with it. My plane was a navigation trainer during WWII, but they used those aircraft for transport and cargo planes. It'll be really fun for people to see what I'm able to do with the plane because it's rather clumsy-looking,” Younkin said with a chuckle. “It's going to be a full day's worth of great entertainment, and I know there will also be food trucks and different activities for the younger attendees, so it'll just be a great day. The acts are also pretty diverse, so I think people will just have a great time seeing what all us different pilots will be able to do in our respective aircraft.”
Overall, Younkin said, his passion for aviation is what has kept him going throughout the years, making him even more excited to be part of Liberal’s AirFair festivities.
“Aviation is pretty much all I've ever wanted to do, and I was pretty much born into it. I fly for fun, and when I'm not flying full-scale airplanes, my children and I fly remote-control model airplanes at a special field. We love aviation in my family, and that's what keeps me going,” Younkin said. “And the air show industry is basically a big family that includes all different kinds of characters, and we love getting together, and I'll also be doing shows in Florida, Missouri and Arkansas before wrapping up my season. October is a beautiful time in Southwest Kansas, so I think the weather will be perfect for the AirFair that day, and I can't wait to be a part of everything for this year.”
