05/26/2026
Tuesdays are quickly becoming my son’s favorite night of the week.
Every Tuesday night, we head to Learn Build Fly at the Wausau Downtown Airport, and every week he comes home a little more confident, a little more capable, and a little more excited to go back.
If you’ve never heard of Learn Build Fly, it started as a group project to rebuild an airplane… but it has grown into something so much bigger than that.
It’s a community of pilots, engineers, mechanics, builders, welders, teachers, and lifelong learners sharing what they know with the next generation.
And I truly mean all generations.
There are retired pilots and engineers working alongside teenagers who are teaching younger kids how to weld, sand airplane parts, rebuild engines, and learn skills most adults would never attempt.
Last week, my 9-year-old was learning TIG welding from a 13-year-old girl with more patience and confidence than most adults I know.
Watching her calmly work through his nervousness, encourage him, and help him keep trying was incredible.
No one is forcing these kids to be there.
They WANT to be there.
They want to learn.
They want to build.
They want to contribute.
They want to master something difficult.
And watching that happen in real time has honestly been emotional.
One of the projects my son has been helping with is restoring the pieces of a plane called the Commonwealth SkyRanger. Every week, he and another young girl spend over an hour hand-sanding layers and layers of paint off these pieces so they can eventually be refinished.
It’s tedious work.
Slow work.
Weeks-and-weeks kind of work.
But he’s proud of it.
He tells other people how to sand so the finish will stay even. He talks about “their project.” He sees himself as part of something bigger.
And I think that’s what makes this place so special.
These kids aren’t just learning welding or woodworking or engine rebuilding or 3D printing.
They’re learning patience.
Responsibility.
Confidence.
Problem solving.
Work ethic.
Pride in doing hard things well.
And they’re learning it surrounded by people who genuinely care enough to teach them.
And honestly, this didn’t happen overnight.
We didn’t walk in one Tuesday and instantly feel like part of everything. My son had to keep showing up. He had to step outside his comfort zone, talk to people he didn’t know yet, ask questions, and slowly find his place.
And I think that’s part of why this experience matters so much.
It teaches kids that confidence doesn’t magically appear. Community doesn’t magically happen either. Sometimes belonging is built one Tuesday night at a time.
Now he walks in excited every single week, already thinking about the projects he’s working on and the people he gets to learn alongside.
If you’ve been looking for something like this for your kids… a place to learn real skills, work alongside incredible mentors, and become part of something meaningful…
We’ll see you tonight at the hangar. 🩵
