Vol. 6 - High Flyers: Habitat for Aviation’s Mission of Access
Words: Jillian Conner | Photography: Julie Richards
If you happen to stop by Vermont’s Franklin County State Airport on almost any Sunday, you might run across an airplane hangar full of kids and teens wrenching on airplane parts. This hangar and the one beside it are home to Habitat for Aviation, a nonprofit dedicated to transforming the aviation workforce by offering education and experiences to youth and adults - especially girls, women, and historically unrepresented folks. By fixing and building aircraft together with the help of mentors, a diverse range of students have found belonging and tenacity in these hangars.
It was a beautiful spring Sunday when the Johnson Woolen Mill crew visited to capture HfA’s current project, a RANS S-21 airplane build. In the late morning, a stream of students and mentors trickled in. The sun was shining, the air was warm, and laughter was abundant. Everyone was joyful, catching up with each other on the days they’d had since last Sunday, what they’d done over the weekend, what they’re planning to do next week. Small planes took off in a steady cadence on the runways outside the hangar, and the occasional skydiver would land in the grassy space between them. Most of today’s attendees are girls and women, but an industrious teen boy joins in the work too.
Habitat for Aviation was borne out of a vision Beth White had while training for her pilot’s license. As her training lessons bounced her from airport to airport, she quickly realized she was often the only female around. This experience drove her to create a fully-funded fellowship for a young woman seeking aviation education. Soon, that fellowship was awarded to more students and Beth had a full-on educational program on her hands. Several years later, she found a cancerous lump in her underarm.
Beth was on the younger side when she received her diagnosis of breast cancer, which led to a slew of treatments including a double mastectomy. She was nearing the end of completing her instrument license training when her first appointments were scheduled. Less than a year later, she had survived her ordeal and was more committed to her purpose than ever. In 2022, she founded Habitat for Aviation to keep the dream going.
Habitat for Aviation’s student and mentor network spans the ages of 9 through 85, about half of them youth, half adults, and a good mix of them are here on this sunny Sunday. Disa (or Granny, as she’s called by the HfAers) is towards the older end of the age spectrum. She’s a builder and student pilot who’s been involved with the nonprofit for years. Standing next to her is Madison, a recent arrival from the Hudson Valley. She works weekdays as a technician at BETA Technologies, Vermont’s own electric aircraft start-up. When she found Habitat for Aviation, something clicked. “It scratches an itch nothing else has,” she says.
Then there’s Bri, who still dons her impressive metallic gold manicure from the high school prom she attended the night before. This morning, she intends to work on the plane’s engine, nails be damned. Louisa, one of the group’s mentors, is a metal artist and engineer, and spends her Sundays here at the hangar every week. Beth is here too, of course, dressed in hot pink overalls and overflowing with enthusiasm. She gathers the group around a work table to discuss the day’s plan before everyone sets to their tasks with as much pep as her.
On every wall of the two hangars are countless mixed media paintings of female heroes: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Beryl Markham, Rosie the Riveter, Harriet Tubman. All were done by Beth, who incorporates postage stamps into her work. The tool carts and shelves are all painted hot pink, and the communal pink fridge is covered in magnets toting inspirational quotes.
To boot, Beth regularly wears her Johnson Pink/Black Buffalo Check Jac Shirt and everyone is wearing their signature Pink Panther Flannel Button Shirts; many with name classic mechanic-style patches sewn on. Empowered by each other and the inspiration surrounding them, the kids and adults working together on an airplane wing are practically taking flight right off the floor of the hangar. Suffice it to say, we at Johnson were quite enamored.
We left Habitat for Aviation in awe, both of the students and mentors, and of Beth. Her complete dedication to pursue her dream is evident, showcased perfectly by the vast group of future and present engineers, pilots, welders, and mechanics she’s been able to compile in this rural corner of northwest Vermont. A mission that values access to the trades, progression of the aviation industry, and good hard work is one we can get behind. We’ll be waiting in the wings ready to donate more flannels when the call arrives, and can’t wait to visit again. Until we do, wishing them clear skies and a smooth ride!
To learn more about Habitat for Aviation and support the mission, visit their website.
