Fly Compton Foundation CEO Christa June on Building the Next Generation of Aviators
In a candid interview, Fly Compton Foundation CEO Christa June shared the story behind one of Southern California's most impactful youth aviation nonprofits, from its grassroots beginnings to a community event that stopped the city in its tracks.
The Foundation launched during COVID-19, when seven professional pilots and Carla Norman came together with a shared conviction: give back to the community that shaped them. What started with roughly 20 kids at Compton-Woodley Airport has grown into a full-scale aviation education program serving youth ages 8 to 18, with a mission to expose, educate, and elevate the next generation toward careers in aviation and aerospace.
Christa walked through the Foundation's core programming, including ground school, flight training, and the Torqued Up aircraft maintenance workshop, a hands-on program designed to address the national shortage of aircraft mechanics by putting real tools in the hands of young people and teaching them how those tools are actually used on aircraft.
The conversation also covered one of the Foundation's biggest milestones to date: a community Air and Space Show planned in just 90 days that drew 5,000 attendees. The event incorporated a space component for the first time, made possible through a partnership with Janaa Griffin of the Equity Space Alliance, and received support from Mayor Emma, who personally recognized the Foundation's contributions to Compton.
Keywords: Fly Compton Foundation, Christa June, minority youth in aviation, youth aviation programs, Compton-Woodley Airport, Black pilots, pilot training, aircraft maintenance, Torqued Up program, Air and Space Show, Compton STEM education, Equity Space Alliance, next generation aviators, 501c3 aviation nonprofit, underserved communities
