Sandra, one of our Ground School instructors had the joy of offering Tsering Skeele, a visitor from Tibet, his very first flight in a small airplane. Tsering has grown up in Nepal, adopted by an American mother, who is an entrepreneur. He will be leaving America soon to spend three years in the Peace Corps working in Senegal. So wonderful to fly and connect with our friends on the ground and in the air. Thank you, Sandra, for your skills in action, and Tsering, for visiting and enriching our world with your presence and fascinating stories!  ​

​The NC 100, a non-profit organization from Rockingham County, invited service groups from all over North Carolina to an “Umbrella Community Event” at Sugar Valley Airport. NC 100 sponsors programs that inspire and educate by exposing youth and their families to new possibilities, like aviation and aerospace.  More than fifty people including adults and children came from fourteen different service groups. It was an amazing gathering of folks and families from around the state and across many different walks of life. They came to recognize and celebrate unity and the good work being accomplished. Shout-outs go to Felton Foushee and Merald Holloway for holding the vision of groups coming together and working in joyful harmony.  Enjoy this short video detailing a great time had by all...
Video Credit: TooMuchTv Inc.

NC 100 is a non-profit collaborative connected to and working directly with local and statewide leaders that believe in the power of community organizing and extending networks as an avenue for supporting education, community and workforce development.

Recently, Sugar Valley hosted a "Friends" gathering, celebrating CommUnity and the lighting of the "Unity Blaze", led by Black Folks Camp Too (BFCT) founder Earl B. Hunter and friends.

As Earl shared, "The Unity Blaze is the campfire symbol in the middle of our Black Folks Camp Too logo, and it means 'Treat Everyone Everywhere Equally.' Your race, age or gender does not matter. We ALL have something to say!" 

There is a lot to the story behind BFCT and you will likely find it very rewarding to take time to explore their website and see more of what, how and why they do what they do.
 
Here is a little glimpse at what took place that evening.

Enjoy the images and then read on for a few of the comments from folks who took part in the event:
 
“Looking out at everyone visiting and connecting and with the Unity Blaze – all looked Golden – as in a dream.
Celebration, Joy, Unity, (and S’mores 😉)….”
 
“This is so beautiful and magical. My heart is so full and beating gratefully!”
 
“An evening of respectful relations at work on the part of everyone present. So grateful to have met Earl and to be part of what he is doing for inclusiveness and equality.”
 
We are honored and delighted to extend our wholehearted support to BFCT and to contribute to an emerging sense of joyful togetherness!
 
From Earl:
“The event was FANTASTIC! I am very grateful and humbled by the genuine LOVE displayed by all. 
 
The invite was key but the welcome was out of sight! I met a ton of folks who gathered for a Night of Unity, and my heart is full because of such! 
 
While driving home, I felt a sense of “togetherness” as I looked in my rear-view mirror to see the awesome hand-crafted Unity Blaze symbol sitting between my children. 
 
Again, thank you to EVERYONE! We are certainly better together! 
 
While we remove generational fear, add knowledge and invite “more” Black folks to camp, and enjoy the outdoor lifestyle with any and everyone. We also promote Unity in the outdoors and beyond!"

We are very grateful to all who joined us and made this experience real on many levels!
​

By Daniel Lobb, one of the SVA pilots

 ​by Daniel Lobb, one of the SVA pilots...

My son Luke and I went to Salisbury today to have lunch with the campers at EAA 1083’s ASCEND Camp. 10 years ago, a few of us from SVA helped the 1083 group create the camp and then we basically got out of the way so they could take off!! It is the 10 year anniversary, and Sandra Smith taught a class for campers earlier in the week, and today they were still talking about how much they enjoyed it!
 
A very nice article came out in the Salisbury Post, highlighting what an amazing opportunity the camp represents. If you agree to a hundred or so advertisements, you can read the article here. https://www.salisburypost.com/2021/06/24/dreams-of-flight-become-reality-at-ascend-summer-camp/
 
I gave a short talk about how I got into aviation as someone who flies mostly for pleasure, which was a little bit of a different story for them.  What was particularly inspiring was seeing all the young people who’ve participated in ASCEND in year’s past and gone on to start some very impressive careers. They had 4 graduates present today, all of whom have pursued their aviation interest, catalyzed by ASCEND. One young man whom I remember meeting about 5 years ago, was struggling to get his pilot’s license then. He’s now a 2,200+ hour pilot flying corporate and loving it! So neat!

Go ASCEND! EAA founder Paul Poberezny has encouraged the "Spirit of Aviation" which the EAA 1083 members continue to express in inspiring and empowering ways. The volunteer spirit is making some remarkable ripples!

​Donald Sweeper is a STEM teacher and a friend of Sugar Valley Airport who wanted to expose his “scholars” to a unique environment and opportunity. On May 6, 2021 Donald Sweeper's group of 5 students and 1 parent from Quality Education Academy (QEA), a charter school in Winston-Salem visited the airport.  The afternoon activities included a tour of the maintenance shop by mechanic Nick Tuttle,  followed by a walk around explanation by the pilots Sandra Smith and Daniel Lobb on how an airplane achieves flight.  The day was capped off by taking a short flight over the countryside. The scholars even had an opportunity to take hold of controls. Mr. Sweeper brought a larger group for a comprehensive aviation day experience  in 2019. 
https://www.qeschools.org/.

Hello, friends!
​
If you've been or flown to Sugar Valley in the last couple of months, you may have noticed a new, rebuilt T-hangar, with a bright red roof - a sure landmark for pilots.

We want to thank Kirk Clearly with Clearly's Construction LLC for a fantastic job in breathing new life into the old T-hangar. We have greatly appreciated working with Kirk and his dynamic team! 
​
And here is a little glimpse into the transformation journey, captured by our photographers Deborah Leighton and Aaron Lobb. Enjoy!

~ 3/3  Sugar Valley Composite Squadron welcomed   Charles Willard, who talked about the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, near Brevard, NC. This is an old NASA tracking station which has been turned into everything from an astronomical research facility to a stem-based summer camp. This event was open to all.

~ 2/13, FAA Safety Seminar: "When an Annual Inspection Does Not Go Right" 
Topic: Failure to Follow Maintenance Procedures / Manuals Can Sometimes Have Disastrous Consequence
In this Seminar, we looked at several accidents related to maintenance personnel who failed to follow the maintenance manual, standard practice, or the manufacturer procedures. 

Our new crop of Aviation Ground School students is here! Congratulations to all the participants, completing their study  on 1/17/2020! Well wishes to all of you! May success, a sense of adventure and discovery accompany you in your future aviation endeavors!
A special thanks goes to the instructors Sandra Smith and Lee Kosub, who freely share their knowledge, skills and time.

SVA Aviation Ground School is a free training offered twice a year by our amazing volunteers. The next session begins on March 6, 2020. Sign up if you'd like to take advantage of this opportunity and spread the word. Learn more here.