Not long before this year’s Dayton Air Show, we got word that our restoration shop would have a chance to bring aviation history to life for kids—just ahead of the weekend’s main event. As part of a summer camp for nearby communities, children would get a hands-on experience with different facets of aviation, and we were invited to be a part of it.
The team came together quickly. The restorers, Uncle Paul and Peppermint Pam, joined forces with Rosie, a local benefactor of the restoration shop and museum, and other dedicated volunteers to pull it off. Most of us hadn’t done something quite like this before, but the mission—to spark curiosity and inspire the next generation—was clear. Everyone is inspired by something different, and if one camper walked away from the day feeling a connection to aviation, then it was a win.
The shop came up with a build-your-own-airplane activity. It took real work to bring the idea to life. Each small airplane was made of aluminum, with pre-punched holes and smooth-filed edges to remove any sharpness. The fuselage, wings, and tail were all metal, and rivets were used to hold the pieces together—just like on real airplanes. We discovered some holes were a bit too tight and needed to be carefully opened up.
In the days leading up to the event, it was all hands on deck. Volunteers punched and filed hundreds of airplane pieces and double-checked every hole. Uncle Paul and Rosie set up a small assembly line using clecos to partially assemble the airplanes, leaving the easier final rivets for the kids to complete themselves.
Inspiring the next generation
On the big day, around 500 campers passed through our “mini assembly plant” in just four hours. The flow was enthusiastic. The children rotated through various stations: meeting the local medical helicopter crew, hearing about the pioneers of aviation from another museum, climbing into a WWII-era T-6 trainer, and finally stopping at our setup to build their very own airplane.
Dream Flights, an organization dedicated to giving flights to veterans in retirement communities, had a P-51, a Stearman and a T-6 on site. Their aircraft were parked next to us, which gave Rosie and our team a perfect visual aid. We had brought along a wood wing and pieces of fabric to show the bones of early aircraft construction. Rosie would point from our display to the nearby Stearman and say, “That’s what it looks like covered and finished.”
Then it was time for the campers to jump in. With rivet squeezers in hand, they completed their airplanes and adding a sticker to the top of the wing. Rosie, Uncle Paul, and other volunteers helped with the final riveting, while Pam and I handed out stickers and cheered the kids on. Pam had a great way of putting it—and I borrowed it: “Now you’ve built an airplane, just like the ones out on the ramp.”
There were moments when we saw recognition flash across a camper’s face, realizing that what they just built echoed what they’d seen flying in the sky or sitting on the tarmac. Some campers asked to build another one for a sibling or their mom. Rosie suggested they hang theirs on the family Christmas tree. The thought that our little project might become a keepsake, a memory of a day at the airport, felt pretty special.
And just when we thought the day couldn’t get any more exciting, the Thunderbirds began practicing overhead. One camper, startled by the sudden roar of the jets, tossed his chips into the air while scrambling to cover his ears—startled, but grinning all the same.
All in all, it was a whirlwind day of education, inspiration, and yes—lots of rivets. It’s a day I won’t soon forget, and I suspect more than a few campers won’t either.