--- title: "Aviation History to STEAM Pathways" description: "Flying Over Time activates the Donald A. Hall Collection through Roots2Wings, helping the next generation discover STEAM careers and move toward skills, credentials, mentors, and aviation workforce pathways." route: "/" revision: "2cdf28b3-50a9-4b1f-8b72-ba771e6246e4" digest: "322eddfaccc53c117579d6297490cb84f7945b5c6adf441f41f35cd05991231f" --- # We preserve aviation history to open the future. Donald A. Hall and others built the Spirit of St. Louis for Lindbergh’s historic flight, sparking the dawn of global aviation. We anchor the next generation in historical roots to inspire them into STEAM pathways. --- ## Original evidence makes possibility personal. ![Aeronautical engineer Donald A. Hall working at his desk](https://ggovqvzgputcdzqgbxgv.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/public-media/e8ce061a-cd0a-4f89-b61d-e7cf0d4534dc/legacy/mirrors/ca506aa77e38def1c9e611ba/cd62198b19820f55e5db4f1f085c66f7-DAH-at-Desk.jpg) Donald A. Hall’s drawings, photographs, correspondence, and design record show that historic flight was not magic. It was a sequence of questions, calculations, tests, trades, and team decisions. Flying Over Time preserves that evidence and uses it to ask a forward-looking question: what might you help build? [Explore the Collection](/media) · [Meet the organization](/about) --- ## Flight begins long before takeoff—and continues long after landing. ### Design, engineering, and manufacturing Aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, materials, electronics, fabrication, testing, and systems integration. ### Drones and autonomous systems Responsible flight operations, mission planning, sensing, mapping, inspection, data capture, and Part 107-aligned pathways. ### Maintenance, quality, and safety Technicians, inspectors, human factors, quality assurance, compliance, risk, and the discipline that keeps flight trustworthy. ### Software, data, and AI Avionics, simulation, cybersecurity, analytics, fleet intelligence, robotics, and the systems behind modern operations. ### Media and technical communication Photography, film, journalism, design, public history, documentation, and translating complex work for real people. ### Business and public systems Airports, logistics, insurance, law, finance, policy, entrepreneurship, customer experience, and community infrastructure. --- > Not every future engineer looks like one at fifteen. > > — Nova Hall · Why Flying Over Time? --- ## Curiosity needs somewhere to go. - **Discover: Find an anchor** — Begin with a person, object, problem, place, or story that makes technical work feel human. - **Explore: See the whole ecosystem** — Meet pilots alongside maintainers, engineers, drone operators, analysts, communicators, safety teams, and business builders. - **Practice: Use tools responsibly** — Fly, simulate, design, inspect, document, analyze, communicate, and make decisions through supervised practice. - **Build: Create something attributable** — Produce a capstone or work sample that a teacher, mentor, employer, or future participant can understand. - **Prepare: Choose a reachable next step** — Identify a course, club, credential, visit, project, apprenticeship, internship, or other documented referral. - **Connect: Meet someone who knows the next door** — Reach a mentor, educator, training provider, employer, or program able to explain what that door actually requires. --- ## Four centennial anchors. One flight path. - **01 · First Flight** · **[San Diego Centennial Kickoff](/events#spirit100-timeline)** — April 28, 2027 (anchor · centennial · planned) · San Diego, California: Begin the centennial journey where Donald A. Hall and Ryan Airlines designed and built the Spirit of St. Louis. - **02 · Homecoming** · **[St. Louis Centennial Moment](/events#spirit100-timeline)** — May 20, 2027 (anchor · centennial · planned) · St. Louis, Missouri: Mark the centennial of Lindbergh’s departure and connect the city behind the aircraft’s name with the Spirit100 story. - **03 · Take Off** · **[New York & Long Island Route](/events#spirit100-timeline)** — May 21–June 3, 2027 (anchor · centennial · planned) · New York City & Long Island, New York: Explore the arrival story through museums, archives, media, civic partners, and historic-route activations. - **04 · Landing** · **[Spirit100 at the Paris Air Show](/events#spirit100-timeline)** — June 14–20, 2027 (anchor · world-stage · planned) · Paris-Le Bourget, France · Hosted by [International Paris Air Show](https://www.siae.fr/en/): Carry the Spirit100 story to its historic destination and the global aviation community. · [Paris Air Show details](https://www.siae.fr/en/) --- ## Help make the next door visible. Students need access—but they also need adults who know where the doors are. Schools, educators, mentors, instructors, employers, credential providers, hosts, and funders can help turn a strong pathway design into documented opportunity. [Register program interest](/program#program-interest) · [Partner or support](/support)