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


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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