Hill Aerospace Museum aircraft restoration program: A win-win for history, future aviation mechanics and public visitors

  • Published
  • By Todd Cromar 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  The Hill Aerospace Museum is bridging history and innovation with a unique aircraft restoration program that preserves vintage aircraft while offering students real-world airframe training through local academic partnerships and an on-site curriculum.

Aircraft acquired by the museum for display often require extensive work, including corrosion treatment and repairs, to ensure they are properly preserved and ready for public display.

Each restoration project is unique and relies on well-established, extensive support from the community and Hill AFB volunteers, as well as the relatively recent addition of students performing work while learning through real application training.

Brandon Hedges, the museum’s restoration chief, oversees and assigns aircraft restoration projects. He said the program is fortunate to have highly skilled and experienced volunteers, many of whom are retired military aircraft maintainers. Some are currently full-time aircraft mechanics for companies like Delta, while others are students learning as they work toward careers in the aviation industry.

Several primary participants in the program are Chuck Hoover, a Lead Restoration Volunteer; Darrell Gronau, an aviation structures repair instructor for Utah Military Academy; and Rick Coop, an assistant aviation structures repair instructor for Utah Military Academy. All three are retired U.S. Air Force chief master sergeants with extensive aviation industry experience.

With professional volunteer support and these academic partnerships, the Hill Aerospace Museum can fabricate almost all restoration parts in-house, only outsourcing on rare occasions for large projects, such as painting an entire airframe.

Hoover has his FAA inspection authority and recently completed replicating a full B-24 horizontal stabilizer from scratch, Hedges said. He serves as a mentor to many of the museum’s volunteers and students - not because it is required, but because he understands their goals and genuinely wants to help them succeed.

Gronau, who instructs students under the umbrella of museum’s restoration program partnership, said the foundation of the educational piece is built on memorandums of understanding between the museum and institutions like the Utah Military Academy, Salt Lake Community College and Utah State University.

“I currently teach two courses with 23 students involved in both classes,” said Gronau. “The first is ‘Introduction to Airframe,’ a first-year fundamentals aircraft repair course for high school seniors, who can earn three credit hours.”

Throughout instruction, students learn material identification and properties, metal forming techniques, proper tool use and the importance of tool safety and control, which is modeled from Air Force regulations.

“The second course is a concurrent enrollment course for students from Utah Military Academy concurrently enrolled through Salt Lake Community College, focused on aircraft general maintenance,” Gronau said. “Students work towards an FAA Part 1 A&P license, known as the ‘General’, and from there can move to ‘Airframe’ or ‘Powerplant’ licenses,” which can save a year of college while earning eight college credit hours.”

These agreements offer local high school students hands-on learning opportunities working on real aircraft of all different vintage types and models, providing invaluable experience and course credit hours, while simultaneously benefiting the museum with much needed restoration help.

“The FAA just began permitting this last year, previously not excepting an off-site FAR part 43 course for credit or certification,” said Gronau. “I am a licensed mechanic, so I can then sign the paperwork for them to take the FAA oral and written exam. Students who pass, will then have their ‘General’ license, allowing them to begin working in the industry.”

“Many companies will hire them with just their general certificate, place them in an intern program, and pay their college tuition for additional training and certifications,” he continued.

Gronau said that, unfortunately, the local aviation industry must recruit mechanics from outside Utah due to the lack of aviation programs available in local schools. There is a significant demand for aviation mechanics, and this program aims to train students while assisting them in securing opportunities to start their careers in the industry.

“This program benefits Hill Air Force Base,” said Gronau. “The material we teach directly relates to intermediate maintenance on aircraft in the base’s maintenance depot. We have already achieved success toward this goal, as several former students from the program are now working on base.”

Aaron Clark, Hill Aerospace Museum director, said that he is excited with how the museum’s aircraft restoration program has grown by using the aircraft collection in creative ways to build community connections to meet museum and state objectives.

“Brandon has been able to successfully balance maintaining Air Force requirements for collection care with a limited budget, while also building vital community relationships through student education opportunities,” said Clark.

“We are trying to use the collection in a creative way to involve and benefit the community and improve artifact care, all while promoting an awareness of the career opportunities in Utah, Hill’s depot, and throughout the Air Force in general.”

“In addition, we have an internship program that gives students the opportunity for college credits and scholarships, provided by the museum’s Foundation,” said Clark.

“What this museum can offer students is truly unique. We want to expand an awareness of the aerospace opportunities that exist in Utah and throughout the country through the care of the National Collection,” he said. “We also want to educate and inspire the Airmen of tomorrow, both civilian and military, through these unique hands-on experiences they can get only at this museum.”