Ned Luce

A volunteer program with a fabulous payoff, right here in east Jefferson County. No, I am not talking about John English’s poker-playing skills, or lack of same. However, I am appreciative of him volunteering the hint leading me to the subject of this column. (Thanks John!)

I recently met with Mike Payne, the energetic executive director of the Port Townsend Aero Museum located near the Jefferson County Airport. 

Most of us in the area know about the incredibly high quality of the displays at the museum. In addition, many of the locals support the museum with financial and/or material donations, memberships, and they like touring it with grandchildren. In fact, my last time there included a couple of our grandsons.

Coming up is the 22nd summer for the museum. It began as an idea in 2001 that was cultivated by Jerry and Peggy Thuotte and has now grown into a world-class aircraft museum and restoration center.

I arrived a few minutes early for my meeting with Mike and I found him working on the engine of a plane in one of the buildings. His first job was to wash the oil and grease off to shake my hand. Almost four years ago the museum took on an expansion project to house seven display-quality aircraft from the now-closed North Cascades Vintage Aircraft Museum in Concrete. That museum was founded by Harold Hanson and the Hanson Family Foundation granted the money necessary to fund the expansion of PTAM.

Mike was adamant that the budget he has varies substantially every year based on donations, tourist visits, COVID, restoration work etc. However, I think it is fair for me to conclude around $500,000 flows through the museum each year excluding the expansion funding. Of course, a large part of that money is from the high-quality restoration and maintenance work done for customers.

One of the noteworthy aspects of east Jefferson County is that there are hundreds, maybe thousands of volunteers providing significant help in many local organizations.

However, since the museum’s inception it has taken in youth volunteers who dedicate a day per week to the museum for a year. They provide the kind of help you would predict and may have provided yourself as a local volunteer. You know, cleaning, painting, sweeping, whacking blackberry bushes, etc. The difference in the museum’s youth volunteer program is that they learn how to work on and fly airplanes. Typically, there are 17 youth volunteers ranging in age from 13 to 17 coming from Bellingham to Tacoma. As they gain skills and confidence with the aircraft, the student pilots attend the Port Townsend Aero Museum weekly ground school taught in the museum library by a volunteer instructor.

There have been approximately
475 local youth who have gone through the program and Mike revels in telling stories about their successes. One couple met in the program, went off to college, one becoming a pilot with Alaska Airlines and the other working for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Mike also talks about the personal development of the youth as they spend a few years in the program. They become more accountable for their activities and acquire great mechanical skills. These folks develop a passion for their careers and the people in this program. In addition, they get training for their own pilot’s license. Quite the payoff!

So, stop in at the museum soon and enjoy the exhibits. You might also see a young person at the front desk or doing lawn work or cleaning airplanes. This is a unique feature of living here even if you don’t appreciate flying. 

You might even see John English volunteering at the front desk! Don’t even think he is 17 years old.

Love a curmudgeon and have a great week.

(Ned Luce is a retired IBM executive and Port Ludlow resident. And to readers who are wondering, no, Ned was not at the flight museum to visit the biplane he flew during the Great War. Contact Ned at
ned@ptleader.com.)