By Ariella Wirch, EAA 1052868
Six thousand volunteers help to make EAA AirVenture Oshkosh happen every year. Out of those 6,000, the Builders Education Center has more than 100 amazing men and women in the workshops to teach various age ranges who want to learn more about aviation. We run workshops including gas welding, composites, wood, sheet metal, and the Aeroplane Workshop. Our volunteers have been working on many projects. In our Aeroplane Workshop, they have been working on the Player Special and the Cozy build. They have been working countless hours giving demonstrations to people on how they are putting everything together and what the end result will be.
Gas welding demonstrates how to safely and properly weld. You get to be hands on in this workshop. The volunteers in gas welding will stay very late just talking to people and helping everyone understand what they are doing.
Wood and composite workshops are where you can learn more in depth on how you can build different kinds of airplanes with different materials. In each building, you go through safety presentations so you know how to properly use all the materials they provide. You also get to take home what you make as a souvenir.
Sheet metal is one of our most popular workshops. We have more than 100 visitors throughout several sessions in one day. We have so many volunteers over there working one-on-one with these amazing people who come and visit. In the past few years, an all-women’s workshop has begun to be offered two to three times throughout the week.
We extend an extra-large thank-you to all hardworking and dedicated volunteers in this group. I can say for all of us that help in the building or in the workshops, we appreciate you all for taking the time out of the week to teach and help others so they too can learn about aviation. This building is like a family, and even though we only see each other for a week in July, those are the best days in my life getting to hear about all the stories from everyone. Thank you, Builders Education Center.
As a Quarter Century Volunteer working in the Builders Education Center, I cannot agree more with Ariella (aka our “Minion 2”) as to the dedication and overall impact the many Volunteers of the BEC provide to the many interested visitors who come by day after day during Airventure, to learn what homebuilding is really all about. I believe the Cameradie that exists between us Volunteers in this “Old Boys Summer Camp” is what draws us all to Oshkosh year after year! The many friendships forged over the years is what motivates me personally to return every summer! Thank you “Minion 2” for sharing your appreciation for all of us old farts (but mainly Archie F.) Quick Q-4-u: Does this write-up earn me my own personal *Green Gator* next year? Oh Dear, my own green John Deere! Love you all… 😉
Ariella- Thank you for such a beautiful and inspiring piece on the BEC! We have grown to be this fantastic family of volunteers over the years- learning and teaching- Every new face that comes to see what building your own aircraft is about takes home some of the spirit that drives us all…
Deborah Van Treuren
Composites