As an industry in the 21st century, aviation is facing vast challenges, some without much, if any, precedent. Both general and commercial aviation are seeing demand rise, but almost across the board, the companies supporting all this new demand are experiencing workforce shortages – shortages affecting not only the pilot population but also the technicians and other service professionals who keep our aircraft flying properly. Consulting firm Oliver Wyman shows that since the COVID-19 pandemic, 33,000 fewer people working in the U.S. aviation maintenance sector. And in 2020, the FAA issued 30 percent fewer airframe and powerplant certificates than in 2019. Geoff Murray of Oliver Wyman also predicts that by 2025, “There will be a global gap [shortage] of 34,000 pilots. And this could be as high as 50,000 in the most extreme scenarios.”
This author grew up in the 1970s in an aviation family. My grandfather was a military pilot who flew in the European theater during World War II. My dad learned to fly on his own, often taking the family on sightseeing trips or vacations in whatever various Cessnas and Pipers were available to rent in Dallas. Back then, a mystique surrounding air travel still existed. A kid could look up into the sky and see a Braniff or Southwest 737 in brilliant livery departing Love Field and then actually go to the airport and watch people getting on and off the planes – indeed, right at the gate. TSA didn’t exist, and I don’t remember any fences around airports. Pilots were generally revered, as were the technical professionals working on aircraft.
Of course, things changed. There was a sort of commoditization of the airlines. Rather than differentiation by service level, airlines started merging and acquiring and particular routes became the differentiation. Deregulation led to higher competition and lower prices – which, I get it, is good. But seemingly the continual drive for higher profits led to smaller and smaller seats and service suffered. Tie this together with the less-than-spectacular experience at most commercial airports – the cattle call at the gate and the invasive nature of TSA personnel examining you and your carry-on. It’s harder and harder to get a kid enthused about the potential aviation offers. The negative perceptions of air travel combined with pilot and technician shortages can potentially cripple the industry. There are rays of hope, though. A few in the industry are taking things into their own hands, providing the next generation of aviation professionals a preview of how cool it is. Young people just haven’t been able to see it.
Last month in the Twin & Turbine “Company Chronicles” column, we learned about the Stolzfus family from Pennsylvania and their patriarch, Chris Stolzfus. Not long after the Wright brothers flew in Kitty Hawk, “Airplane Chris” as he was known in his small farming community, saw an opportunity and founded an agricultural aviation and parts business. Recruiting for new positions back then often required roping in your offspring to do things around the family business. People were so spread out in rural areas that the only kids you’d see regularly were your own. That was no problem for the Stolzfus clan. They had their twins, Karl and Ken, who went on to found their own aviation company after working for their dad – K & K in Bridgewater, Virginia. K & K eventually transitioned to its current name Dynamic Aviation. And under the leadership of Karl’s son, Michael, its current CEO, the company has grown and flourished and is seeing unprecedented demand (just like everyone else). Dynamic, too, feels the pressure to hire well-qualified and enthusiastic professionals to meet its customers’ ever-increasing requirements.
Michael Stoltzfus grew up around every kind of plane under the sun. But one flight in particular cemented his desire to pursue a career in aviation. He was in the right seat of a DC-3 cockpit while Ken, his uncle, was flying a spraying mission to combat Gypsy moths for a customer. Michael had been in lots of aircraft during his young life, but that flight made it all click for him.
Michael knows that not many kids get to have experiences like he had, and now he runs a business that relies on a skilled and enthusiastic workforce to support that business. Staffing becomes a matter of profitability and ensuring the ability to meet customer needs. Since most kids don’t get to experience aviation like he did, Michael has developed a mobile aviation experience to enlighten, enthuse and harness the next generation of aviation professionals. The program is called NEXTGEN Aviators, and through Dynamic Aviation’s various aviation resources, Michael is taking this experience on the road. He’s not waiting for kids to figure out on their own they’re interested in aviation; he’s working to spark that interest.
At the metal working station, students learn riveting. 
Kids preparing for the flight simulator experience.
The NEXTGEN Aviators experience comprises two large mobile units. One houses flight simulators while the other contains various stations introducing kids to the skills needed to keep aircraft in the air. These mobile units are well branded, each pulled by an 18-wheeler-type tractor. They’re intended to go anywhere in the country to support
any aviation business, not just Dynamic Aviation.
Once kids complete the initial introductory learning stations, they’re given the opportunity to actualize the experience by flying in NEXTGEN’s dedicated Beechcraft King Air. Keep in mind that some of these kids may have never been on an aircraft and almost certainly never as a passenger in a high-performance King Air. This is a big deal. The entire experience takes about four hours, but it doesn’t stop there. If a kid shows an interest and wants to learn more, a NEXTGEN staff member will follow up and provide them with avenues to higher education and careers.
The staff that makes all this complex aviation learning stuff run smoothly needs appropriate leadership. Michael chose an industry veteran with U.S. Air Force and extensive corporate experience to lead the NEXTGEN initiative. NEXTGEN’s director Shane Combs is from Coal River, West Virginia. He stated, “I started as a USAF C-130 crew chief in 1993. After several years of military life, I transitioned to the corporate aviation world and managed various completions and customization centers for long-range aircraft like Gulfstream, Falcon and Bombardier.”
Shane has been with Dynamic Aviation for a little over a year. His near and long-term goals are highly focused on the success of NEXTGEN. “I want to find those in the industry with similar goals of inspiring youth into careers in aviation and providing those pathways as well. My long-term goal is to take NEXTGEN Aviators across the nation to 30,000 students, and eventually more, along with two full-time daily NEXTGEN experiences at various fixed base operators.”
As awareness increases, the demands on Shane’s time increase proportionally. “Travel has increased considerably as we see results and continue to provide students with this experience and the industry learns more about NEXTGEN and our mission. We are getting invited to lots of airports now and that requires a lot of relationship building.”
At this point, it’s best for local schools and organizations to plan about one semester in advance to have a NEXTGEN experience in Bridgewater. For off-site locations and those in other states, it’s best to plan six months or so ahead. And just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes partners and sponsors to bring a kid into aviation. “We rely on our incredible industry relationships to provide the continuing education aspects, like EAA’s AeroEducate program. Others have direct-to-workforce opportunities. They’re all invaluable.”
Obviously, Shane can’t do this all by himself. He is bringing others who love the NEXTGEN concept and can influence young people to embrace our unique aviation industry. He found a young woman who encapsulates this perfectly. Kala Dougan was born in Lynchburg, Virginia and grew up in Roanoke. When she was in 8th grade, an experience changed her life.
“My mom heard about a Women In Aviation event at a university. We decided to attend the event with the idea that it would just be something fun to do together but not necessarily something that would inspire my future career. When we arrived at the event, I had the opportunity to tour the aeronautics department facilities, speak with professors and flight students, and fly their flight simulators. After trying my hand at the simulator, I was given the opportunity to go on a flight with a female flight instructor. For me, that experience was life-changing. I still remember putting on that headset for the first time, feeling myself sink into the seat on takeoff, and being absolutely amazed as the world shrunk beneath us. The instructor allowed me to take the controls for a little while with her help. She was kind and encouraging and made me feel like I was contributing to the flight. Once we landed, I remember running to my mom and telling her I wanted to fly for the rest of my life. Since that moment, I haven’t looked back. That instructor may never know the impact she had on my life, but she inspired me to receive a degree in aeronautics and sparked a passion in me for helping other students learn about aviation career opportunities.”
After Kala’s education was complete, her husband Garrett was hired at Dynamic Aviation, which led to her involvement with NEXTGEN. “My husband was hired at Dynamic Aviation as an Air Data Acquisition Pilot. When Dynamic began beta testing the concept of NEXTGEN, he volunteered his time to fly the aircraft. I remember him coming home from these events excited about the potential of the program and the impact that it was already having on a small portion of our local community. I attended one of the events for employee family members and was shocked at all of the interactive stations that were set up for kids to explore. It reminded me so much of my experience at the Women In Aviation day but on a much larger scale. I immediately fell in love with the vision of the program and asked if I could volunteer. After volunteering for about two months, I was offered the operations supervisor position within the program and accepted!”
As you can see, Kala is perfect for this role. When asked what it is about NEXTGEN that influences kids the most, she said, “The beauty of NEXTGEN Aviators is the variety of aviation career paths that we highlight, giving students with all different talents and interests something that they can each be excited about. Our staff is composed of highly trained industry professionals who are all passionate about encouraging the next generation and giving students the confidence boost they need to feel empowered to start their aviation journey. I think that when you pair the staff and the multitude of activities together it creates an environment that kids can’t help but gravitate towards. However, the King Air 90 flight and the desktop simulators seem to be a fan favorite.”
One of Kala’s colleagues also seems tailor-made for this type of advocacy. Samantha Anderson, originally from Arizona and now living in Virginia, has been hooked since an early age. She is intent on helping NEXTGEN Aviators bring her enthusiasm to a new generation. “Both my parents were international pilots and flight instructors,” she said. “I took my first flight at two weeks old and had my first passport by three months. I think I was about eight years old when I most vividly remember flying with my parents. My dad was flying in the left seat, me in the right, and mom was in the back. Dad was teaching me how to do stalls and steep turns when he said, ‘you have the controls.’ I responded, ‘I have the controls,’ and I was hooked.”
Aviation is not Sam’s entire life, though. She is the current Miss United States, which brings all sorts of demands on her time. “I devote a significant amount of time to being Miss United States. NEXTGEN has been incredibly flexible with my schedule knowing that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and my hectic schedule is temporary.” Discussing her future and the NEXTGEN program, Samantha predicted the next three years will see significant growth. “And hopefully by then I’ll have completed my CFI rating and may even become a pilot for our program. My long-term plan is ever-changing. I have some guidelines that I hope will keep me heading towards a successful future, but I’m along for the ride.”
Michael and Shane are certainly lucky to have Kala and Sam as advocates and staff. But the story wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t hear from someone who had been through the NEXTGEN Aviators experience. Adam Brumbaugh felt the impact of his experience in the NEXTGEN Aviators program and is now an intern for Dynamic Aviation. He works in the legacy hangar, which houses no less than the very first aircraft with the Air Force One callsign, president Eisenhower’s Lockheed Constellation, among other historical aircraft. Adam was just one of a bus full of students from Wilson Memorial High School in Fishersville, Virginia. They were able to take part in one of Dynamic Aviation’s NEXTGEN Aviators experiences, right in Bridgewater, which is about a 30-minute drive from Fishersville. Adam starts his senior year in September and graduates
in 2023.
The NEXTGEN experience sparked an interest in aviation as a career for him. “I did not expect to receive so much from the NEXTGEN event,” he said. “It was such a detailed introduction to aviation careers.” He participated in the technical familiarization stations consisting of introductions to aerodynamics, metal work, electrical systems and computer-aided design. But it was the flight simulators and the actual flight in the King Air that really sealed the deal for Adam. “I was amazed that we could actually learn so much in such a short amount of time and get such an amazing overview of piloting aircraft.” During the introductory flight, the NEXTGEN pilots took the kids to view their school from the air. “It was incredible that the 30-minute drive turned into a 5-minute flight. I was able to get a clear idea of the value of aviation. Plus, seeing our town and school from the air was really cool.” As a result of NEXTGEN, Adam is hooked. With his new experiences as an intern at Dynamic Aviation, he is planning to pursue a career as a pilot.
The impact NEXTGEN Aviators is making is real. A serious (seriously impactful, seriously compelling and seriously fun) program to bring aviation to kids across the country. NEXTGEN is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, and they’re actively looking for partners and sponsors to help them accomplish their goals of building an enthusiastic and skilled generation of aviation professionals to help all of us meet our (and our customers’) needs. NEXTGEN partnered with EAA, hosting GirlVenture at AirVenture at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in July. And they are actively participating in NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention & Exposition in Orlando, Florida, in October 2022. NEXTGEN also has many sponsorship and marketing opportunities available.
More information can be found at www.nextgenaviators.aero.
