Inspiration Beyond Our Hangar

Written By Beth White

Sharing Our Love of Aviation with Enthusiasts Everywhere

Miranda Gallagher being interviewed by PBS team about her passion for building, flying, and fixing airplanes

Our journey at Habitat for Aviation has been nothing short of extraordinary, marked by milestones that resonate far beyond the walls of our hangar. An incredible honor came our way as PBS Newshour's Brief But Spectacular series on the future of education invited us to share our story. A dedicated team, flown in from across the country, spent the day with us, capturing the heart and passion we bring to our work. 

They interviewed Miranda Gallagher and her mother, shedding light on Miranda's inspiring journey from a STEM camp at Franklin County State Airport at age 11 to becoming a vital member of our Women Build Planes team and the EAA Chapter 613 family. The affirmations of our efforts were further celebrated as Bianca Marrier was featured in Inspiring Girls USA's Finding Your Inspiration series, where she explored her experiences as an airplane mechanic with a national audience of young women.

We’ve hosted quite a number of esteemed visitors, and each interaction has further enriched our community, fostering connections and collaborations that extend the reach of our vision for aviation education and gender diversity in the field. We were proud to host Congresswoman Becca Balint, who spent the afternoon visiting not only our hangar but also the EAA Chapter 613’s Taylor Aviation Center and George Coy’s incredible space where a lot of the magic happens. 

Congresswoman Becca Balint and friends visit Habitat for Aviation, EAA Chapter 613, and the hangar of George Coy

Vermont's Lt. Governor, David Zuckerman, was a notable highlight. He seemed inspired by our Women Build Planes team, especially Aubrianna Mayette, who taught him a thing or two about clecos, and gained insights into Ian Bradette's BD-4 project. 

We’ve hosted the magnetic team from Green Mountain Power, friends from BETA Technologies, Gisela and Adam Alpert, folks from the Franklin County Industrial Development Corporation, a representative from the U.S. Department of Economic Development, a team of awesome ladies from 100 Women Who Care Franklin County, and others.

If you are interested in visiting and seeing what we’re all about, please reach out!

List of Distinguished Guests to Date

  • Alison Novak, Seven Days

  • Vermont Works for Women

  • Yamuna Turco, Miss Vermont 2023

  • Lt Governor, David Zuckerman

  • PBS Newshour

  • Snap-On

  • Green Mountain Power

  • Vermont Federal Credit Union Kevin Perrish & Erin

  • Congresswoman Becca Balint 

  • Vermont Community Foundation

  • Katherine Trapani, U.S. Department of Economic Development

  • Franklin County Industrial Development Corporation

  • Bernie Sanders Office

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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