A Navy flying club may be permanently grounded, but its successor is just taking off.

Cascade Aviation, also known as the Whidbey Island Flying Club, or WIFC, celebrated its third year on Saturday. The group held an open house, serving up food, drinks and low-cost introductory flights at the Skagit Regional Airport in Burlington for anyone wanting to experience the magic and freedom of flight.

Cascade Aviation arose from a need for pilots and student pilots to continue training after operations ceased for the Whidbey Island Navy Flying Club, which was based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. The club was abruptly shut down because of operational needs, according to a memo sent at the time by Capt. Mike Nortier, commanding officer of the base at the time.

WIFC was created by pilots for pilots, said co-owner and general manager Ken Davies.

Davies is himself a retired Navy chief petty officer and member of the defunct NAS Whidbey flying club.

“The WINFC was a place where people could not just come to learn to fly, but just come and hang out after work or on their lunch break,” said Davies. “Even if you weren’t flying, you could just come over to ‘hangar fly’ and talk with other pilots.”

Davies, along with a few other senior Navy flying club members, set out to create the same type of environment in which anyone could come in and feel at home.

Bob Fraser is also a founding member of the new club.

Navy flying clubs are nearly extinct, said Fraser, a retired Navy captain and aviator with more than 23,000 flying hours.

“At one point, in the early 1980s, there were around 57 Navy flying clubs worldwide. Some just had five members and one plane,” said Fraser.

“They are now nearly a thing of the past with only a handful still open,” he said.

Though flying into a headwind, Cascade Aviation is making great strides Fraser said.

“We brought more than 35 members with us from the WINFC to get started. That’s why we still call it the WIFC,” Fraser said.

Currently, the club has more than 75 members, many of whom are active duty military or retired, and that includes the experienced flight instructors as well, he said.

In the three years since getting off the ground, Cascade Aviation has maintained an impeccable safety record with zero accidents or mishaps, according to Fraser.

Keeping a flying club going is no easy task, and it’s not as easy nor inexpensive as it used to be, mostly because of the rising costs of fuel, maintenance and overhead, he said.

“Our biggest challenge is building up our membership,” said Fraser. “The more members we have, the more we can keep flying costs down for everyone.”

According to Cascade Aviation’s information, the club offers the lowest-cost aircraft rental, instruction and club membership between Bellingham and Tacoma.

Fraser said some students told him that their dream of becoming a pilot would not have been possible without the club.

Active duty sailor Katherine Haas is one such student. She said she wanted to fly since the third grade.

“I started with the Navy flying club and had two lessons before the memo came out closing the club down,” she said.

Haas was then deployed to Japan and picked up her flight training there with the Air Force Flying Club on Kadena Air Base, but didn’t quite obtain her license.

“When I came back, I finished my license with Cascade. It was nice to finish with the instructors I started with at the WINFC, ” said Haas.

“If it was not for the WINFC being on-base, offering affordable flight training, I would still just be thinking about flying instead of actually doing it,” she said.

“We’ve had students that were E-3 and below and complete pilot training as early as age 18,” said Fraser.

“Some people may not even know it, but in the back of their mind they have always wanted to learn to fly,” said Fraser. “Having this kind of club available has made it a dream come true for some that might not ever have taken the time to drive as far as Everett or Bellingham.”

Cascade Aviation encourages people of all ages and experience levels to come out for a visit. Cascade also offers youth flight camp during the summer months to promote aviation at an early age.

n Cascade Aviation and WIFC will hold a membership drive 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at the CPO Club, 1080 Ault Field Road, Oak Harbor. There will be free food and a presentation conducted by members and flight instructors.