Everyone needs a Hangar Granny

Written By Beth White

Disa "Granny" Tatro, affectionately known as our Hangar Granny is a testament to the power of passion, dedication, and community. Granny is known at the Franklin County Airport in Highgate, Vermont, where she wears many hats—builder, Scholarship Wrangler, and, well, resident Granny. Her energy and enthusiasm are infectious. Whether she's working with the modern Rosies building an airplane, offering a listening ear, giving a driving lesson, or lightening the mood with well-timed humor, Granny holds everything together.

One of the ways Granny demonstrates her mentorship is through her commitment to supporting everyone. When team member Aubrianna Mayette needed help getting her driving hours in for her driver's license Granny was there to lend a hand. She picked up Bri after school, generously giving her the driving time she needed. For Granny, it’s not just about getting the job done—it’s about being there for people, offering support, and seeing them through the process, no matter how big or small the task.

Granny’s journey with Habitat for Aviation began in a rather serendipitous way. One day, she learned that a group of women was building an airplane at the airport. Intrigued by the idea, she decided to bring her granddaughter along to see what it was all about. Little did she know that visit would turn into something much more significant. She never left. Granny’s connection with the project was immediate, and she became an integral part of the team, being part of the team in every way — because we’re doing more than building an airplane.

Granny's guidance, patience, and experience help foster a supportive environment for all involved, proving that age is no barrier to pursuing new passions and acquiring new skills. She may be the oldest of the Modern Rosies and brings with her a lifetime of wisdom. Her story is a reminder that it’s never too late to pursue a passion, and that often the best journeys begin unexpectedly—just like her newfound love affair with aviation at the Franklin County Airport. Whether it's mentoring, building, or sharing a laugh, Granny's role as a guiding light is an example of how dedication and heart can make a lasting impact on everyone around you. And as Granny often says,

“We are not just building an airplane, we are a family.”

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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