The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) broke ground this week on a two-story, 30,000-sq-ft facility that will be connected to the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and provide space for year-round aviation education and training programs. The $6.2 million “Project 21” marks the first expansion of this aviation museum site in more than 20 years, EAA said.

Funded through a capital campaign rather than from EAA member dues, the facility will include a Pilot Proficiency Center and a Youth Education Center. The Pilot Proficiency Center will offer safety forums and simulator training with a focus on improving pilot aeronautical decision-making skills. Meanwhile, the 15,000-sq-ft Youth Education Center will host interactive and project-based activities for youth, their parents, and their teachers.

“While the EAA Aviation Museum highlights more than a century of accomplishments in personal flight, a major part of EAA’s mission to grow participation in aviation is to offer high-level programming for current and future pilots,” said EAA chairman and CEO Jack Pelton. “Project 21 brings that vision to reality and further strengthens Oshkosh as the home for those who pursue their dreams of flight.”

EAA called Project 21 phase one of a long-range plan to transform the center into a multifaceted facility showcasing history, training, and education. EAA is anticipating a grand opening of the facility during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in July 2022.