EAA’s Docents—Breaking Records

May 2016 - At EAA, nothing can be done without the help of our volunteers. There’s a special group of volunteers who support the museum year-round. They are our docents. As spring arrives, the tour season picks up. School groups from around the state come to the museum to spend the day and learn about our aviation heroes. Our docents are there to meet them as they come through our doors.

We are hitting high tour numbers in 2016 and hitting records that date back almost 10 years. Some of this is due in part to the nose art display we have currently in the museum. The panels are all authentic panels from World War II bombers, and the artwork was painted on by service members of the 1940s. This is the first time these panels have been on display outside of the state of Texas. We are proud to have them here, and the docents have been stepping up the number of tours they give and people they greet.

Our docents are also working closely with Tara Parkhurst in our museum education programs. Part of a student’s experience in our museum are the stories that go with each of the aircraft parked in our facility. It’s these legacies that we honor by displaying these aircraft. From the Wright Brothers’ first airplane, to the P-38 twin-engine fighter Richard Bong flew in the skies of the South West Pacific, we must tell their stories.

Docent recruitment has also begun, and we are holding our first docent training class. The four-class program provides a great foundation in not only being a docent, but also being an active part of different museum events. We are always happy to have more help. Please consider being a docent or recommending the program to someone you know.

If you are interested in becoming an EAA Museum Docent, please contact Chris Henry by email at chenry@eaa.org or by phone at 920-426-6853.