When a Trailblazer Lands in Our Hangar: Captain Lynn Rippelmeyer Visits

Written By Beth White

When Captain Lynn Rippelmeyer walked into our hangar, it felt like history, possibility, and a whole lot of joy arrived with her. Our crew already knew her story: the first woman to fly the Boeing 747 and later captain it on a transoceanic flight, a lifelong champion for women in aviation, and someone whose journey began just across the lake from us—learning to fly a Cub on floats off Savage Island in Vermont. One of our builders, Taylor Bushey, had read Lynn’s books ahead of time and came armed with thoughtful questions about everything from early training days to navigating a career full of “firsts.” Watching Taylor and Lynn talk, student-pilot to seasoned-pilot reminded all of us why visible role models matter so much.

Lynn not only shared stories; she shared tools for dreaming forward. She generously gifted us a collection of her books, Life Takes Flight and Life Takes Wings, whose proceeds support Roatan Support Effort (ROSE), the nonprofit she founded to deliver essential supplies to schools, clinics, and families in Honduras. Her visit wove together everything we care about at Habitat for Aviation: aviation excellence, global citizenship, community, and opening doors for the next generation. We are deeply grateful to Dunlap “Deebs” Riehle for introducing Lynn to our work and accompanying her on this very special visit.

Beth White

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


In the spring of 2022, Beth White emerged from a 10-month battle with breast cancer with an idea: to create an apprenticeship program at Franklin County State Airport where youth work alongside adult mentors servicing conventional and electric aircraft. A pilot and airplane mechanic apprentice herself, and with family roots in the trades, Habitat for Aviation provides an taxilane for world learning opportunities for youth and adults who love to work with their hands to enter the FAA’s apprenticeship certification track. Each day she puts systems in place that make real John Dewey’s philosophy that we “learn best what we live” – a deep throughline from her time at Antioch University New England and as Regional Director for Big Picture Learning. Each learning experience is grounded in relationships, relevance, and practice. In October, 2023, Habitat for Aviation launched its Women Build Planes program, where an all-female team of Modern Day Rosies is building an airplane at Franklin County Airport, in northwestern Vermont, to show folks everywhere that despite the fact that only 2.6% of airplane mechanics are female, women BUILD, FLY, and FIX airplanes.

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Celebrating One of Our First Youth Aviators: Joseph Mensah