22
OHIO AIR & SPACE HALL OF FAME AND LEARNING CENTER RECEIVES $25K GRANT In Flight USA Celebrating 38 Years
January 2022
Charitable Foundation Supports Transformation of Original Port Columbus Terminal into Aviation Heritage and STEAM Education Center
The Ohio Air & Space Hall of Fame and Learning Center (OAS), established in 2019 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 7 announced the receipt of a $25,000 grant from the charitable foundation of Margi Marsh Bauer, based in Paso Robles, California. The grant will help fund operations as the OAS conducts Phase One of a multi-million-dollar capital campaign to renovate the original 1929 Port Columbus Air Terminal into interactive exhibit space and a state-of-the-art STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) learning center. Bauer was born in Dayton, Ohio, where her father served as a civilian engineer at Wright Field during WWII. After the family moved in 1955 to Eastmoor, not far from Port Columbus, Bauer fondly recalls her family often driving to the airport to watch air traffic for entertainment. As a student at Eastmoor High School, she was amazed and proud when
Jerrie Mock, from nearby Bexley, Ohio became the first woman to fly solo around the world in 1964. Having since lived on the East Coast, in England, and now in California, Bauer stopped by the air terminal during a 2018 visit to Columbus and was delighted to learn that a group was working toward saving the historic Art Deco structure. After following news about the establishment of the non-profit OAS and its long-term lease of the terminal and learning more of the plan to renovate it into a civic showpiece, Bauer reached out to OAS Executive Director, Ron Kaplan, to say she wanted to help the effort through her charitable foundation. “When I saw that fantastic building and control tower again I couldn’t help but think about all the remarkable history it represents, both for me personally and for our aviation heritage. So, once I found out all that the Ohio Air & Space Hall of
Fame has planned for its renovation and public use, I just knew I had to get involved,” said Bauer, who currently serves on the board of directors at the Estrella Warbirds Museum in Paso Robles, California. Executive Director Kaplan lauded Bauer’s enthusiasm and generosity. “Ms. Bauer is among many current and former Ohio residents we’ve heard from who each have a unique understanding of how important it is to preserve this iconic piece of America’s aviation past,” he explained. “Given her own experience, she also recognizes the value the Ohio Air & Space Hall of Fame Learning Center will provide by showing young people they can shape the amazing possibilities of the future. We can’t thank Ms. Bauer enough for her vote of support.” Bauer’s grant, along with gifts from the Hillsdale Fund, the Wright Brothers Foundation, and others, will be applied
NASA SELECTS FOUR UNIVERSITY TEAMS
NASA’s research focus on sustainable aviation will get some big help from teams of university faculty and students recently selected to participate in the agency’s University Leadership Initiative (ULI). ULI gives the academic community an opportunity to support NASA’s aeronautical research goals and provide students with valuable experience in solving real-world technical challenges. “Aviation of the future has to be climate friendly to keep the world flying, and a great way to do that is to allow tomorrow’s top minds to begin making contributions to these goals while still in school,” said Koushik Datta, ULI project manager. Three of the four teams are working toward lowering or eliminating aircraft emissions, with each team approaching the problem from a slightly different perspective. The fourth team’s autonomy research is in support of NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility campaign. Another key ULI goal is for students to gain experience in leading a multidisciplinary team made up of partners from other universities and industry, including student populations who are underrepresented or have not applied their skills to
aviation problems. “A diverse research team enables more voices to be heard, and more creative ideas to be explored,” said Datta. A total of four teams, announced on Dec. 23, were selected for final negotiations that could lead to awards of up to $31.5 million during the next five years. The four teams and their research topics are:
University of Central Florida
The team will explore using liquid ammonia – a non-traditional source – as fuel for a jet engine and generating electricity from the engine’s exhaust heat, reducing emissions, and saving on fuel. Team members include Georgia Tech, Purdue University, Boeing, GE Research, ANSYS, Southwest Research Institute, and the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.
Florida State University
The team will consider how hybrid hydrogen-electric power generation could be combined with fuel cell technology to lower emissions. Team members include Florida Agricultural and
FOR
The Ohio Air & Space Hall of Fame and Learning Center (OAS), has received a $25,000 grant from the charitable foundation of Margi Marsh Bauer. (Courtesy Ohio Air and Space Museum) toward matching a $550,000 State of Ohio grant designated for the terminal’s renovation. According to Kaplan, the OAS anticipates work on renovating the terminal and tower to commence in early 2022 while Phase Two of the campaign raises additional funds for completion, operations, STEAM education programs, and public outreach. For more information or to contribute, visit www.OhioAirandSpace.org.
AVIATION PROJECTS
Mechanical University, University at Buffalo, University of Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Raytheon, Boeing, and Advanced Magnet Lab.
Georgia Institute of Technology
The team will turn its attention to sustainable aviation challenges related to a jet engine’s combustor but in this case the engine is powering a commercial supersonic transport. Team members include Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Virginia Tech, Spelman College, Missouri University of Science and Technology, General Electric, and Aerodyne Research Incorporated.
University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign
The team aims to deliver trustworthy autonomy tools to help Advanced Air Mobility aircraft fly safely through complex airspace, typical of dense urban environments. Team members include Georgia Tech, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, North Carolina A&T State University, University of Nevada at Reno, Lockheed Martin, and Sierra Nevada Corporation.
NASA has selected four university-led teams for potential awards that will have them spend up to five years exploring novel ideas for improving aviation, including eliminating emissions and autonomy research in support of Advanced Air Mobility. (Courtesy NASA)
This is the fifth time a set of teams have been selected to participate in ULI. Six teams were selected earlier in 2021, five teams were chosen in 2020, three teams were announced in 2019, and five teams were selected for the inaugural initiative in 2017. An official notice for the next request for proposals is expected to be posted online in March 2022. For more information about NASA’s aeronautics research, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/aero
