The National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton has a new chair.
Doug Schwartz said his role goes beyond simply leading the board meetings. Schwartz is a pilot who worked for an aviation training company for 25 years, and managed aviation activities for several companies.
He spoke with WYSO’s Mike Frazier about how the Aviation Hall, which is housed at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, does more besides recognizing those who did great things in aviation.
Doug Schwartz: The National Aviation Hall of Fame was chartered by the U.S. Congress in the mid 1960s and charged with the task of identifying individuals in the aerospace or aviation industry in the United States whose accomplishments were worthy of note and could be publicly shared for the purpose of inspiring future leaders to come into our industry. Make it simple. Choose aviation heroes and communicate that with the public for the purpose of inspiring young people to come into the aviation and aerospace sector.
"... I had a 45 year aviation career that was inspired by a fifth grade schoolteacher."
Mike Frazier: Now going on that theme, there is an educational arm to the Aviation Hall of Fame. Do you want to talk a little bit about that?
Schwartz: Well, sure, it's very important because it's not just about choosing heroes. It's about choosing heroes that will inspire future heroes. And that's our young people. When I came on to our board originally, it was that very topic that really intrigued me and interested me in the National Aviation Hall of Fame, because I had a 45 year aviation career that was inspired by a fifth grade schoolteacher. It's a natural process to start with young people. Many people come in and visit our Heritage Hall and Education Center, which is co-located inside of the US Air Force Museum in Dayton. And they bring kids in there and the displays in there are designed to catch the attention of young children to find something that they're interested in. Then throughout the displays, they also see citations on all of the people who have been enshrined so they can get closer to the sense of the people that did these things. So it's just a natural fit. Education becomes critical and it doesn't only happen in the Heritage Hall.
We're trying to get it into the classrooms, in the local community, and throughout the nation with programs that teachers can use with young children to introduce them to aviation and the exciting potential that it could have in their own futures if they're interested.
Frazier: Now, how do you do that? How do you reach out to people across the nation? Educational material, videos?
Schwartz: There is a package that was developed in collaboration with Public Broadcasting System (PBS). And for schools that participate in the program, we provide them with all of the tools needed for the teachers to understand the curriculum they'll be teaching and materials they can share with the kids. Activities as well.
Frazier: Now, you mentioned that a teacher inspired you to get into aviation. Do you remember that moment?
Schwartz: Absolutely, I do. It was a man named Mr. Allen. He was my fifth grade school teacher. He had flown in the Korean War. And on the days that the girls left the class to take health courses that the boys weren't allowed to participate in, they had to keep us busy with off-curriculum items. And the way he did that was he had us building model airplanes with balsa wood, Exacto knives. And as we built the components of the airplane, he would describe their purpose and how they functioned and so forth. And he would pepper all of this with stories about flying from his own career. He continued to fly in the military reserves after he left the Air Force. And I started looking up at airplanes after that, I was mesmerized by it. And I still do today.
So that's a great example of how inspiring young people can change the path that they're on. It's because of Mr. Allen that you and I are talking today.
Frazier: Did you run for the chair of the Hall of Fame, or were you nominated?
Schwartz: I was nominated by our board of trustees to be their chairman. I've been a trustee since 2019.
Frazier: What kind of satisfaction do you get serving as atTrustee and will get as now the chair?
Schwartz: Well, what a great opportunity to give back. I had such a wonderful experience in aviation in my career. I think one of the things I learned early in my career is, although I started in aviation because it seemed like an exciting and adventurous way to spend my life. When it became a career for me, I shifted in the direction of my interest, and it was because of the overwhelming responsibility you take on in aviation to do it in a way that's safe and effective, and to continually make it better and better and better. And that's giving back to something that you love. And what better way at this point in my life to sort of finish that process is in doing things that inspire others.
