Dean Rice: Volunteer Spotlight
Dean Rice came to Flight Club 502 hoping to give back, but it turns out the students ended up saving him. At 75, the retired pilot and active church member found that traditional aviation groups just couldn’t fill the void retirement created. Only Flight Club could—it’s the reason he happily dropped all those other organizations to be here nearly every day, finding a profound, heartfelt connection with the next generation.
“I had a great career and really enjoyed it,” Dean shares, “but nothing is as amazing as Flight Club 502 to help the kids and make the world a better place.” He admits that while he aims to positively impact the students, “they are saving my life.” The kindness of the kids, who walk slowly behind him down the stairs—a route that now takes ten minutes—is a daily delight.
The Power of Mentorship and Connection
Dean’s involvement is driven by a deep desire to pass on the success he had. He believes his opportunity is to “give to the future what I had in my great past,” spending his time mentoring young instructors and students.
His favorite memories are moments of deep connection:
The Full Circle: Dean helped Theron Varda earn his Private Pilot’s License. Now, Theron has graduated from college and is back at the club teaching as a CFI. “You’re like another son to me,” Dean told him, to which Theron replied, “You’re like another grandfather to me.”
The Confidence Boost: He helped Olivia Barondeau solo, describing her as hard-working and beaming when she landed. She told him, “Thank you for giving me the strength to do this. Now I will go get my driver’s license!”
The club represents something much deeper to Dean Rice than just an airfield or a hobby. He firmly sees Flight Club 502 as far more than just a place to fly, but rather a vital support system for its young members. In fact, when asked to describe the organization in just one word, he didn’t hesitate to call it “Supportive.”
A Home for the Future
Dean understands the club’s impact from a deeply personal place: he credits aviation with saving his own life. He shares that when he was in sixth grade, just a handful of five-minute conversations with mentors were enough to shift his path toward achieving good grades and building strong public speaking skills – vital skills to go into an aviation career. Those incredibly impactful sessions completely altered his future, and now, Dean’s greatest goal is to provide that same pivotal mentorship to the next generation at Flight Club 502.
He emphasizes that teaching kids to fly is minimal on his to-do list; being a mentor is the main thing.
“I would say this is the best youth activity program I have ever been involved in. This is a place where you can find a home. Whatever your interests are, we have something for you here. It’s not all about flying.”
Dean believes Flight Club can be the “Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America… we just fly planes,” offering a supportive haven where young people can find community, confidence, and a path forward that impacts their entire lives.
His story shows that five minutes with a mentor can change a life forever. Your support makes those life-changing moments possible. By contributing to our raffle fundraiser, you are directly investing in the aviation and life-skills training that will define the next generation of pilots, engineers, and leaders.
Want to get involved? Change the trajectory of a student’s life today…
