By Emme Hornung
The Charles W. Harris Youth Aviation Center in the Vintage area has a schedule packed full of hands-on activities, forums featuring special guests, and more for kids and teens this AirVenture.
Located just south of the Vintage Red Barn, the hangar opened only two years ago, and it’s already taking off with nearly 800 young people having participated in activities in 2025. “It’s been fantastic. It’s far exceeded our expectations,” said Sue Hutson, cochairperson of the center.
The center’s main goal is to pass along the essential skills and knowledge of caring for vintage aircraft to the next generation. “We love making pilots, but we want to make some mechanics, too, and people that can take care of airplanes,” Sue added.
Kids ages 6-12 can get hands-on with interactive workshops that will show them how to use tools, learn about aerodynamics and weight and balance, check out flight instruments, try their hand at cable swaging, identify AN hardware, and more. Workshops will take place Monday-Friday, 12:30-2:30 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m.-noon.
There will also be a workshop just for kids with special needs on Wednesday from 3:30-4:45 p.m., offering a quieter and slower atmosphere as well as more hands-on assistance.
For teens ages 13-18 looking for a community of their own, they can find it at Teen Night on Tuesday and Thursday from 6-8 p.m. “One of our goals is creating community for the teenagers,” Sue said. “They can meet other kids and just have fun.”
With games like giant Jenga and beanbag toss, glider building and flying competitions, a music DJ, “and plenty of snacks,” Teen Night is a great opportunity to make friends and relax.
Youths of all ages will also get the chance to meet some of their favorite Oshkosh performers at the Air Show Legends forums at 10 a.m. on Tuesday with RJ Gritter, Wednesday with Nathan Hammond, and Thursday with Kyle Fowler.
“They bring posters and they talk for a while, and the kids ask all sorts of questions. They’re like celebrities to them,” Sue said. The forum was first proposed and supported by the Hammond family in 2024, and it proved to be quite the hit last year.
Other youth activities include a photo scavenger hunt where participants will be entered into a die cast model drawing, and kids can get a rubber aviator duck to give to the pilot of their favorite vintage aircraft on the field.
And for the adults, there’s something for you here, too. On Monday at 3:30 p.m., former VAA President Susan Dusenbury will host a forum and panel on resources for mechanics, owners, and restorers of vintage aircraft.
There’s a little something for the whole family at the Charles W. Harris Youth Aviation Center, so come on down, enjoy some great company, and learn about the aircraft of yesteryear.