LOCAL AVIATORS WORKING TO OPEN DOORS TO FLIGHT EDUCATION IN IOWA

From left to right, Jeff and Elizabeth Jorgensen, and Ken Allsup with Oskaloosa News on a recent flight over Pella and Oskaloosa Iowa.

OSKALOOSA — A flight over Oskaloosa and Pella recently provided more than scenic views. It also offered a chance to hear the story behind Open Air Education, an Iowa-based effort aimed at helping more people discover aviation and pursue careers in the industry.

During a recent interview with Oskaloosa News, Jeff and Elizabeth Jorgensen shared how a passion for aviation evolved into a mission to help others overcome the barriers that often prevent people from entering the field.

For Jeff Jorgensen, aviation began with childhood visits to his grandparents’ farm near the Newton airport. Watching aircraft take off and land sparked an interest that eventually led him into military service, flight training, aircraft ownership, and flight instruction.

Jorgensen joined the U.S. Navy in 1989 with hopes of becoming a pilot. While that goal did not materialize during his military career, he remained committed to aviation. After serving six years in the Navy, he pursued flight training through Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa and eventually earned his pilot certificates and flight instructor credentials.

Over the years, Jorgensen worked in a variety of aviation-related roles, including aircraft detailing, aviation marketing, and flight instruction. In 2009, he became a certified flight instructor and began helping others learn to fly.

His desire to make a larger impact came in 2014 after reading about projected shortages of pilots and aviation professionals nationwide.

“I wanted to make a difference,” Jorgensen said.

That desire led to the creation of Open Air Education, an organization focused on aviation outreach, education, and flight training opportunities.

The effort eventually expanded to include both a for-profit flight instruction business and a nonprofit educational organization. Through those programs, Jorgensen has worked with schools, educators, and aspiring pilots throughout Iowa.

One of Open Air Education‘s major accomplishments has been the development of an aviation-focused STEM course available through Iowa’s Area Education Agencies. The course allows teachers to earn continuing education credits while learning how aviation can be incorporated into classroom instruction.

Jorgensen has also spent the past several years raising funds for a certified aviation training simulator. Approximately $40,000 was raised to build the simulator, which is now being installed in a mobile trailer. Once operational, it will allow pilots to complete certain training requirements and proficiency checks while providing students with hands-on aviation experience.

Elizabeth Jorgensen said one of the biggest challenges facing people interested in aviation is simply knowing where to begin.

“A lot of people don’t know where to start,” she said.

Before becoming involved in aviation herself, Elizabeth spent countless hours researching flight training opportunities online. As a single mother working in southern Iowa, she said finding reliable information and guidance was often difficult.

Her experience reinforced the need for mentorship and education within the aviation community.

The couple believes many people view aviation as something reserved for the wealthy or highly connected. Through Open Air Education, they hope to show that determination, mentorship, and access to resources can make aviation achievable for a much broader range of people.

That philosophy has already helped students earn pilot certificates, connect with scholarship opportunities, and gain access to training that may have otherwise seemed out of reach.

Among the success stories is a student who earned his pilot’s license on his 17th birthday, December 17, the anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first powered flight in 1903.

Looking ahead, the Jorgensens hope to continue expanding educational opportunities, supporting teachers, and helping introduce more Iowans to aviation.

Their mission remains straightforward: helping people find a way into aviation, even when the path may not seem obvious.

For those interested in learning more about aviation, flight training, or educational opportunities, Open Air Education continues to work with students, teachers, and aspiring pilots throughout Iowa.