On September 21, Jon Goldenbaum of the Flabob Airport in Riverside will present a program to the Temecula Valley Historical Society about the work of the Tom Wathen Center at Flabob Airport with at-risk teens, teaching patriotism along with aircraft repair. As a special treat, Jon will show a video of their 2019 reenactment of the 1944 landing in Normandy on D-Day with authentic vintage planes.
Jon Goldenbaum is the CEO of the Tom Wathen Center, the nonprofit that owns and runs Flabob Airport in Riverside. Jon is a lifelong pilot, a retired Air Force combat fighter pilot, and a Delta Air Lines pilot. He has been involved in aviation his entire life as both a pilot and business owner. The mission of Flabob is to bring at-risk young people into the field of aviation to provide them pathways to successful futures. Flabob’s numerous programs for young people instruct them in aircraft mechanics, flying, and entrepreneurial skills. The airport has its own free aviation charter middle and high schools, as well as a large aircraft mechanic trade school with over 250 students.
Goldenbaum’s program at the Little Temecula History Museum starts at 6 pm on September 21. Doors will open at 5:30, and light refreshments will be served. The program will also be live-streamed on the Temecula Valley Historical Society Facebook page and will later be archived on the society’s YouTube Channel.
