Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 38

ISTAT Foundation
Sponsors Herb
Kelleher Trophy

By David Sutton and Ken Perich
Where did more than 3,000 students go to
learn more about careers in aviation and
the newly created Herb Kelleher Trophy,
which was presented for the first time?
The answer: the National Championship
Air Races in Reno, Nevada. A grant from
the ISTAT Foundation was a key element
in supporting the second annual Aviation
Learning Center and the 17th annual
National Aviation Heritage Invitational
(NAHI) event during the recent National
Championship Air Races. The Aviation
Learning Center experience was created and
hosted by Pathways to Aviation and supported by the National Aviation Heritage
Invitational. Pathways to Aviation and
NAHI combined their talents, aviation
contacts and volunteer forces to create a
multiday Aviation Learning Center in the
heart of the Reno Air Races at Stead Field
just outside of Reno.
NAHI is one of the country's premier
traveling aviation museums and features
some of the finest restored vintage aircraft
in North America. The 2015 NAHI display

encompassed more than 100,000 square
feet of ramp space, which was filled with
27 beautifully restored vintage aircraft. In
addition, the Perlan Glider, which is partially funded by Airbus, was on prominent
display. This great collection of aircraft -
all 45 years or older and restored to pristine
condition - provided the forum and the
attraction for the Aviation Experience and
a special youth program.
The Pathways to Aviation's charter is
to encourage students to obtain a better
understanding of and pursue careers within
the aviation industry. Since its inception,
Pathways to Aviation has collaborated with
Reno area school districts to integrate
aviation-related skills such as piloting,
meteorology, engineering and communications into current literacy, math, science and history programs. They are very
active in supporting science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM) educational
programs and in helping to develop and
incorporate aviation-related classes into
school curricula.

Presentation of the Herb Kelleher Trophy to Patrick Donovan (Lockheed 12).
Left to right: Ken Perich, Patrick Donovan, David Sutton, Herb Kelleher, Bud
Anderson, Robert "Hoot" Gibson, Dick Rutan and Bob Weihrauch.

To this end, Pathways erected two 30-by80-foot pavilions within the NAHI display
area to create the 2015 Aviation Learning
Center at the races. These pavilions were
used as classrooms and display centers for
a wide variety of aviation-related organizations. In addition, Pathways to Aviation
paid the entry fee for more than 3,000 junior
high and high school students from the
greater Reno area to attend the air races
and to visit the NAHI/Pathways Aviation
Learning Center display area. The ISTAT
donation helped to support the infrastructure for the event.
The students were able to view a wide
variety of vintage aircraft from the antique,
classic and military disciplines and also
speak with the owners and restorers of
these great aircraft. While within the display area, the students were also able to
visit with representatives from NASA, the
EAA's Young Eagle's program, the local Civil
Air Patrol chapter, two aviation museums,
and the USA Space Camp program. Plus,
they attended lectures on the many facets

Ken Perich, Herb Kelleher, founder and former chairman of Southwest
Airlines, and David Sutton.

38 The official publication of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading

Jetrader - Winter 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jetrader - Winter 2015