Aug 14, 2026
GOAA Buckles Up For “Pack the Plane” To Fight Hunger
ORLANDO, Fla. – An airplane. Thousands of pounds of food. One mission: fight hunger in Central Florida. That mission was accomplished on Saturday, August 8, at Orlando Executive Airport (ORL), where the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) took community support to new heights at its 2nd annual “Pack the Plane” event, in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.
Central Florida residents packed a Cessna Citation CJ3+ with 4,638 pounds of food, the equivalent of 3,865 meals, to help families facing hunger across Central Florida. The total bests last year’s results of 2,774 pounds by more than 65% increase.
"Hunger impacts thousands of families throughout Central Florida, and every item donated will stay right here in our community," said Lance Lyttle, Chief Executive Officer of GOAA. "We recognize that being a good neighbor means investing our time, resources, and partnerships to make a positive difference. Thank you to Second Harvest, and every volunteer, donor, sponsor, and community partner who made the event possible."
"We are thrilled to partner for the second year in a row with the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority to inspire and engage the community to end hunger,” said Derrick Chubbs, President and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. “As students and families head back to school, this food will help stock their shelves and provide nourishment to learn, work, and thrive."
The donations collected will help distribute food through its network of more than 800 feeding partners serving Brevard, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia counties.
The successful collection of food was made possible by collaboration with community organizations and dedicated partners, including Northern Jet, which supplied the aircraft that volunteers filled with donations. The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), Women in Aviation International (WAI), Cirrus, MyFlight, the University of Central Florida, and others were also partners.
The engineering, planning and design firm Kimley-Horn was the top private donator, and GOAA employees also contributed hundreds of pounds of donated items.
The primary beneficiary of the donations is Soldiers’ Angels, a military veteran’s support organization. While fighting hunger is serious business, the event still made room for fun, with family-friendly activities, including aircraft displays, games, giveaways, and food trucks.
About Greater Orlando Aviation Authority
The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority is proud to operate Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Orlando Executive Airport (ORL), two of Florida’s premier air travel gateways. MCO is a world-class global connector, serving nearly 58 million annual passengers across its three terminals, A, B and C. Connected to an Intermodal Terminal Facility that offers high-speed passenger rail service, Terminal C is an inventive structure that elevates the customer experience with 100% automated screening lanes at TSA checkpoints. ORL is conveniently located just miles from downtown Orlando and provides vital general aviation access to the heart of the region.
For more information, please contact the Office of Public Affairs at the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority at 407-825-2055 or email us at MCOPIO@goaa.org for further assistance.