NH Aviation Museum Needs Volunteers for May 2 Race

When students at three New Hampshire high schools build real airplanes as part of their education, they're learning skills that could shape their futures. Now the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire needs volunteers to help fund those programs through a community race.

The museum is seeking helpers for its Run the Rail Trail 4-Miler on Saturday, May 2, starting at 9 a.m. in Londonderry. Volunteers will park cars, monitor the course, and operate water stations during the morning event.

The race raises money for the nonprofit museum's youth aviation programs. These include an upcoming summer camp and ongoing projects where high school students actually build planes, turning classroom learning into hands-on aerospace experience.

"It's a great chance for people to get outside, meet some new people, and help a good cause," said Leah Dearborn, the museum's associate director. The commitment is modest: volunteers work from 7:30 to 11 a.m. on race day and attend one brief orientation session in April.

The course winds through lightly trafficked North Londonderry roads before finishing on a scenic 1.2-mile section of the Londonderry Rail Trail. The route passes through the remote Little Cohas Brook Reservoir area, offering runners and walkers a peaceful natural setting.

The Ripple Effect

Every volunteer hour supports a bigger mission: inspiring today's students to become tomorrow's aerospace pioneers. When kids get their hands dirty building actual aircraft, they don't just learn about flight; they discover what they're capable of creating.

The museum operates from a historic 1937 art deco terminal at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. Its programs connect aviation history with future innovation, giving young people real-world skills in a field that desperately needs new talent.

Interested volunteers can contact Leah Dearborn at (603) 669-4877 or ldearborn@nhahs.org. Runners and walkers can still register at runsignup.com, with advance registration at $40 per person through April 30.

A few hours on a spring morning could help launch the next generation of aerospace pioneers.