VAA Opens Youth Hangar on OSH Campus

Walking through the Vintage parking area at Airventure, Vintage Aircraft Association director Ray Johnson motioned to a taildragger parked nearby. “A young guy or gal could buy something like this Taylorcraft, or a Champ, then fly it a ton to build their hours up, and sell it without taking a big hit on the resale value.”

But as any vintage aircraft owner can attest, purchase price is one thing. Upkeep is another. To that end, on Monday morning VAA leaders rallied up for a ribbon cutting at the Charles W. Harris Youth Aviation Center.

The Harris Aviation Center, a hangar behind the flightline in the vintage aircraft parking area, aims to attract area youth for hands-on experience learning how to use basic and equipment used to maintain and repair aircraft, while introducing them to pilots and mechanics. At the same time they can learn about types of aircraft that can make an affordable entry purchase into aviation for learning to fly and building time.

Susan Dusenberry, VAA President, said the youth hangar took a bit longer than her initial five-year plan. But the well-finished exterior and interior certainly gives hints as to the thought put into its construction while also managing rising construction costs over those years. She said that while education is important, building a community is at least important.

“In addition to the things we want to teach, we really want to foster a sense of belonging to the participating youth,” Dusenberry said.

Given the significant generation gaps involved, it could seem to be a daunting task, but Dusenberry and the VAA leaders have tapped a cadre of advisers in their 20s to help develop the program’s curriculum to ensure that it can gain traction without the generational challenges a teenager might have while considering a program that’s headed up by folks who are… shall we say, considerably older?

Between the youth advisors and a very friendly atmosphere, the Harris Aviation Center should readily handle those challenges.

The Harris Aviation center was half financed from the estate of Charles W. Harris and half through member donations. Their plans borrow partly on the Youth Aviation Program that the Late Ron Alexander, former VAA director, formed at Peach State Aerodrome south of Atlanta, GA. The YAP, operating completely independently of any school, draws high school students from the surrounding community to help in restoring and repairing vintage aircraft. Their labor at the shop is paid out in the form of flight instruction with the flying club on the field. Several students have earned their private pilot certificate, and at least one has earned their airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate.

For more information, check out www.eaavintage.org/vaa_youth_center.