Recap Mondays: Building Something Different - This First Hangar Hangout Was Just the Beginning

This past Saturday marked a major milestone for The Pilots Collective as we hosted our very first Hangar Hangout at the Zulu Avionics Hangar at Prescott Airport (KPRC). With 22 passionate community members in attendance, it was more than just a meet-and-greet it was the launch of a movement.

We kicked off the afternoon at 4 PM with a structured overview of who we are, what we’re building, and the vision behind The Pilots Collective. From there, the conversation deepened into an interactive dialogue. Each person had the opportunity to share something new they learned, something they wanted to see, or a perspective on how we can shape the future of aviation training together.

ZULU Avionics and Maintance Hangar being utilized to host our first Hangar Hangout Event

Two standout moments captured the spirit of what we're creating. Scott, a maintenance professional on the field, shared the importance of teaching why procedures exist, rather than just enforcing them as rules. He also emphasized the value of introducing student pilots to steam gauge instrumentation as part of developing real-world competency, not just digital familiarity. Following that, Professor Sarah Nilsson voiced her support for a return to teaching aviation history helping students understand how and why aircraft designs, safety standards, and industry practices evolved over time. These insights aligned directly with our philosophy of building well-rounded, deeply informed pilots.

We shared pizza, snacks, sodas, and water to keep the conversation flowing, then continued the night at The Wren House from 6 to 8 PM, where attendees received a 10% discount on drinks. The after-event helped solidify new friendships, spark ideas, and foster the kind of networking that rarely happens in traditional training environments.

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Many attendees voiced how much Prescott needed something like this a space for community, not just competition; for passion, not just progress toward hours. One guest even suggested a flight club division, though for now, we remain focused on supporting instructors, fostering mentorship, and building real pipelines to flying careers.

We were incredibly humbled by those who stepped up to offer help:

– Professor Nilsson, who offered discovery flights to help newcomers and those interested in aviation fall in love with the joy of flight

– Several individuals expressed interest in helping connect us with the local FSDO and EAA chapter to further our community reach and pursue WINGS credit for future events

Special thanks go to Zulu Avionics for providing the hangar space and helping us reach new audiences, and to The Wren House for supporting our growing community. And of course, thank you to every person who showed up, asked questions, and supported our mission. Your presence means everything.

WHAT'S NEXT:

🛩️ August 16: Instructor Biweekly Curriculum Workshop (Open to ALL Instructors)

🛩️ August 23: Tentative Flyout to Lake Havasu "Dinner at Hangar 24" (time TBD)

🛩️ August 30: Second Instructor Biweekly Curriculum Workshop (Collective Instructors Only)

🛩️ September 6: Next Hangar Hangout (4–6 PM at Zulu Hangar, 6–8 PM at Wren House)

We’re working hard to add FAA Wings credit to future events and streamline group discussions so everyone’s voice is heard without running overtime. This is a living process, and with your support, it's only getting better.

Let’s keep building aviation into what it should have always been.

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