🎃 Ghost(ly) peppers are approaching the Post 8 hangar and it smells like aviation-grade chili! 🌶️👻

Join us 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟒, from 11 AM–3 PM for Aviation Explorer Post 8’s Haunted Chili Fundraiser at Philip-Billard Airport!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝.You do not have to be a pilot, Explorer, or chili chef to come aboard.Walk in, drive in, or fly in — 𝕁u𝕤t bring your appetite and prepare to judge frightfully good chili entries.

🌶️ 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐄𝐀𝐓 & 𝐉𝐔𝐃𝐆𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐈!
Suggested Donations:Adults: $10, Kids: $5

Your admission lets you sample the chili and help support nearly 75 years of youth aviation education at Post 8.One door prize will be awarded for 18+ for sharing your email with us for future events.

There will also be cinnamon rolls available for purchase, and you can bring a few extra dollars to purchase “𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦 vote tickets” to help your favorite chili climb altitude.Three teams collecting the most votes will earn prizes and chili bragging rights until next year (results will be shared on-line!).Prizes include orientation flights over Topeka!

🎃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐈 𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐎𝐅𝐅?

We are still seeking chili teams to compete!🏆$150+ value for third place, $200+ for first place.

Whether you are a seasoned chili champion, a first-time competitor, or someone whose crockpot has been collecting dust in a plane hangar, you can still enter.

Your cauldron of chili is the entry competition fee.We simply ask each team to provide at least 𝟓 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢 so there is enough for everyone to judge.Food safety rules also posted on the entry site (we DO NOT want zombies or exorcisms upon leaving our hangar!).

Team spots are limited, so register by 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖 and we’ll email you all the flight-plan details.

👉Enter your chili team:https://hangar.post8.org/chili/

Prizes for our top three chili teams are also listed on the registration page.

✈️ 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐆 𝐄𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒!

Thanks to our friends at Top City Aviators (EAA Chapter 1693), youth ages 8 to 17 may experience a Young Eagles orientation flight during the event, weather and volunteer pilots permitting.

Flight Pre-registration is encouraged:https://eaachapters.org/event-details/YE4180GKT

🎟️ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐉𝐔𝐃𝐆𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐍!

We’ll also draw for a $𝟐𝟓 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞 for our chili-judging patrons. Participants must be 18 or older to be eligible for the drawing.

Aviation Explorer Post 8 has been part of the Topeka community for nearly 75 years and is 100% 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘳-𝘳𝘶𝘯.Proceeds from the Haunted Chili Fundraiser help us continue providing aviation education, experiences, and opportunities for local teens interested in flying, aircraft, and aviation careers.

Whether you:
🌶️ make legendary chili;
✈️ have a child interested in a Young Eagles flight;
🎃 want something fun to do the weekend before Halloween;

🥄 believe chili tastes better when you didn’t make it…We’d love to have you at the hangar!

📅 Saturday, October 24, 2026⏰ 11 am — ending at 3 pm. Young Eagles flights end at 2pm.🎃 Building 15, Philip-Billard Airport (KTOP), Topeka, Kansas (GPS address in calendar invite)

Set a calendar reminder, get the address, and follow the countdown from a calendar here:https://hangar.post8.org/events/chili/

👻✈️𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝓁𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹𝓃’𝓉 𝒷𝑒 𝓈𝒸𝒶𝓇𝓎.Chili containing GHOST peppers may not have received the same flight safety briefing.