This piece originally ran in the May 2024 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
Don and Shay Lusk, EAA 1475013 and 1495171, of EAA Chapter 586 in Show Low, Arizona, have a passion for sharing the wonders aviation has to offer with people of all ages.
Don has been fascinated by airplanes since he was a young child, taking trips with his mom to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to watch airplanes land and take off. This fascination brought him to building and flying remote-controlled aircraft. “And then, it wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when, I’d transition to the real thing,” he said. Don now holds a private pilot certificate and owns a 1971 Piper Cherokee Six and a 2007 Van’s RV-9A.
Don and Shay met while partying like it’s 1999 — literally. The now-married couple met during a karaoke night 25 years ago. Shay is not a pilot herself, but as many pilots’ spouses have experienced, it was hard not to find herself sucked into the world of aviation along with him.
At Don’s first chapter meeting in 2022, he discovered the chapter’s waning activity and learned of their search for a new Young Eagles pilot. He was happy to step up to the plate and even convinced two of his pilot friends to help as well. With Shay and one of the other pilot’s wives taking control of the administrative side, the couple’s first Young Eagles rally saw 44 kids in line for a flight. Though heavy winds put an early stop to that day’s rally, they came back the next two Saturdays to make sure every one of those kids got a flight.
“From there, it’s really blossomed. We’re really excited about the program we’ve got going here,” Don said. The Lusks have put a lot of effort into revitalizing Chapter 586, including investing in a commercial-grade kitchen for their hangar and the proper permits to continue the pancake breakfast tradition. Shay is now the chapter’s secretary and Young Eagles and Eagle Flights coordinator, and Don was voted to be the chapter president for 2024 and is also the Build and Fly program coordinator.
Of course, the chapter’s new-found growth would not have been possible without plenty of help from fellow volunteers. “There’s been a lot of people that have come alongside us to do it as well. Last year, we had a total of 63 volunteers come out at various events. We have a tremendous turnout of volunteers to support the chapter,” Don said.
Don and Shay organized their first Learn to Fly event in May 2023 and provided 11 Eagle Flights to adults. “It’s neat to see the look and excitement on a young person’s face, but I would say it’s equally exciting when you have an adult that’s never had their hands on the controls of an airplane,” Don said.
Following the Learn to Fly event, one of the participants, Brandon Monahan, was so inspired that he asked for advice on purchasing an airplane. With Don’s help, Brandon became the proud owner of a Cherokee 180 less than a month after his Eagle flight. Alongside Brandon in his journey to becoming a pilot is his son Abdi and his niece Elena, as all three are now on track to earn their private pilot certificates.
Abdi took his first flight in a small aircraft in early 2023 at a Young Eagles rally, and he got to work right away and soloed just months later in June. “He was our little Young Eagle that came to us at 15, and six months later, he’s flying into a pancake breakfast,” Shay said. “We were just thrilled. It was so super, super cool to see that.”
Elena also has soloed, completing the major milestone in October 2023.
For AirVenture 2023, Don and a few chapter members made the journey to Oshkosh in his Cherokee Six. “It was a real treat to be able to take some people who maybe wouldn’t have an opportunity to go there,” he said. In addition to EAA, Don also volunteers for the local sheriff department, providing prisoner transport and assisting with search and rescue missions.
“It’s been a lot of fun, and it’s just our passion,” Don said. “I really enjoy sharing it with people.”
Volunteers make EAA AirVenture Oshkosh — and just about everything else EAA does — possible. This space in EAA Sport Aviation is dedicated to thanking and shining the spotlight on volunteers from the community. Sadly, it cannot capture all of the thousands of volunteers who give so much to the community every year. So, next time you see a volunteer at AirVenture or elsewhere, however they are pitching in to make EAA better, be sure to thank them for it. It’s the least we can do. Do you know a volunteer you’d like to nominate for Volunteer Spotlight? Visit EAA.org/Submissions.