A new hangar and learning facility for youth aviation education has broken ground at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, giving Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 180 and its Teen Aircraft Factory of Manasota a permanent home. Chapter leaders say the community aviation center has been 16 years in the making. Inside the hangar, students will build aircraft and gain practical, hands-on skills that translate directly to the aviation industry.
The program already has a track record. Former participant Jack Mungillo is now a lead quality engineer for Honeywell Aerospace. He recalls his first flight and seeing the aircraft students were building, calling it incredible stuff. Chapter leaders describe the facility as a pipeline designed to get inspired, passionate, and talented young people involved in aviation, from teens through young adults.
Phase one, including the new hangar, should be complete in the next few months, and fundraising is underway to support and expand the facility. For Suncoast families, it’s a local option for students who like building, tinkering, and dreaming about flight. Do you know a young person who would thrive in a program like this?
