Lunch & Learn with Jill Gernetzke - Wingwalker, Mechanic, Mentor, EXPANDER

Written By Beth White

Our WOMEN BUILD PLANES crew gathered for a Lunch & Learn with Jill Gernetzke—A&P, business owner, and former wingwalker. Jill spoke plainly about pathway-making in aviation: ignore the naysayers, find your cheerleaders, and stay laser-focused when the work carries real consequences. She walked us through her wingwalking technique, the discipline behind maintenance, and why a signature in a logbook is a promise you must stand behind.

Jill reminded us that lineage matters. She worked in Vermont years ago, mentored Cliff (our beloved A&P/IA), and helped light the spark for youth through ACE Camp. When we checked with the FSDO, we learned fewer than ten women have ever been granted an A&P in Vermont—a stark data point that underscores how much her example matters here.

One story landed especially hard. In 2005, Jill brought Soviet WWII airwomen to the United States, amplifying the legacy of the famed “Night Witches” and their sister regiments. She raised the funds, organized the tour, and filled auditoriums so mechanics, pilots, and students could hear from women who flew and fixed under fire.

Sessions like this belong in our hangar and at our lunch table. Expanders like Jill helps everyone–from our nine-year-old to our granny-builder–picture themselves in these fields. We are grateful for her candor, her legacy, and for sharing her time with us. Our team left more certain about what is possible.

Beth White

Education Possibilitarian, Artist, Writer, Doula, Mentor, Aviatrix, Breast Cancer Survivor, Pilot-in-Command at Habitat for Aviation

Born and raised in Vermont, Beth worked in a variety of schools in New England, including The Met, which is Big Picture Learning, flagship public high school in Providence, Rhode Island. After a decade in the classroom, Beth returned to the University of Vermont to earn a PhD in educational leadership and policy studies. She is an education possibilitarian, artist, a writer, a Doula, a mentor and aviatrix and most recently, after winning a tough battle with breast cancer, Beth founded Habitat for Aviation to inspire the next generation of airplane mechanics, avionics, specialists and pilots.

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