With a mission to “Honor the Past, Empower the Future,” the Henry B. Tippie National Aerospace Education Center (NAEC) in Dallas opens a window to the world of aviation that many young people have never before glimpsed.
Before the 9/11 hijackings in 2001, there was a time when entire families could freely walk through the airport to see a loved one off at the gate or welcome a friend back home. Parents could pack up the kids and a picnic lunch and spend the afternoon parked near the airport runway, watching the planes take off and land.
After 9/11, such activities were deemed a security risk. Now, only those who can afford a ticket for a flight are allowed such close access to aircraft. Because of the enhanced airport security measures that are in place these days, many children and young adults have never seen an airplane at close range.
“When airports all put up fences, people couldn’t just come to an airport and see what aviation is all about. So many of the students that come to us have no introduction to aviation,” explains NAEC Vice President of Education Nancy McGee.
McGee says this lack of accessibility means a lack of exposure to career opportunities, aviation-related or otherwise. She noted that this is especially true for children from under-served communities.
“If you can’t see it, you can’t be it,” she says. “That’s the idea behind everything that we do here. We want them to see things in a different light and have exposure to a variety of careers, opportunities, and skill sets so that they find their niche and the thing that lights their fire.”
The center provides a space where students and others interested in aviation can learn about the industry through hands-on education.
“I started creating aerospace programs for a school district when I learned that one in six jobs in the Metroplex is in aerospace,” says McGee.
The NAEC has programs for every age group, from pre-kindergarten to adults. Classes help students build communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills.
Whether role-playing or learning how to use tools, reading runway markers, assembling and disassembling planes, or boarding an aircraft, McGee says the basis of the program is to provide exposure to new opportunities. Students learn about careers as pilots, airplane mechanics, ground workers, and Transportation Security Administration agents.
In addition to “empowering the future” through these student programs, the center is committed to “honoring the past.” Along with the education center, the 47,000-square-foot facility houses a World War II museum.
The museum includes a theater, the world’s most extensive collection of WWII nose art, artifacts, and exhibits that commemorate those who served.
There are exhibits dedicated to Texas’ role in the allied victory, Woman Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), the Aztec Eagles, the Tuskegee Airman, and Rosie the Riveter, honoring women who worked in manufacturing to support America’s war efforts.
Within the James C. Ray Education wing, visitors can step back in time to 1943 in Anytown, U.S.A., and role-play a character during World War II. The immersive “Home Front Experience” teaches a variety of skills.
“So you’re learning math, science, English, language arts, and history simultaneously, which helps schools win the war of trying to get content in a certain limited amount of time. It’s really heavy in financial literacy, which is a challenge for schools [to teach],” explains McGee.
Several WWII “warbirds,” or aircraft, are housed in the NAEC’s 30,000-square-foot hangar, giving visitors an up-close and personal look at the massive airplanes that flew during the war. This site also houses two important World War II aircraft: FIFI, a B-29 Superfortress, and Diamond Lil, a B-24 Liberator.
The Commemorative Air Force, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and showing historical aircraft, utilizes the space to perform maintenance and restore its fleet.
“The Commemorative Air Force that owns NAEC owns someplace in the neighborhood of 180 vintage planes; most of these are WWII era and some slightly before that,” explains McGee. “The Commemorative Air Force started with the idea that if people can’t come to the museum, we fly the museum to the people. So every one of these airplanes tells multiple stories about where they served and the people that served, and who maintains them. Ten people are working to help get that plane in the air for every flight.”
Whether peering into the future or looking back into the past, the NAEC offers experiences for everyone to enjoy. The center also rents space to host galas, special events, and corporate team-building activities. The center is located at 5657 Mariner Drive in Dallas, at the Dallas Executive Airport.
