Pilot shelter project at KLSK becomes a learning opportunity

A Recreational Aviation Foundation grant will fund a ponderosa timber pilot shelter at Lusk Airport (KLSK) and the build will involve Wyoming educators, students and local volunteers in planning, milling, workshops and construction.

The Recreational Aviation Foundation has awarded a grant to build a pilot shelter at Lusk Airport (KLSK) in Wyoming. RAF Wyoming Liaison Joe Feiler is positioning the work as an educational collaboration rather than a rapid volunteer-only build. The grant will cover materials for a 12-by-20-foot ponderosa timber-framed shelter. The project brings together Casper College students, career and technical education teachers, local pilot volunteers and SkillsUSA students using Wyoming-made materials. Project details: - The grant will cover materials for a 12 x 20-foot ponderosa timber-framed pilot shelter at Lusk Airport. - Casper College engineering students will provide the shelter plans. - Timbers are to be milled at Devils Tower Wood Products sawmill in Hulett, Wyoming. - The University of Wyoming will host a timber framing workshop offering graduate credit to interested career and technical education teachers. - Local pilot volunteers will join teachers to build a 12 x 24-foot concrete pad for the shelter. - SkillsUSA middle school students will erect the shelter as a community service project and will enter it in the 2027 Wyoming State SkillsUSA contest; the article notes those students earned a national gold medal in 2025 for a previous Lusk project. Summary: The project combines education, industry and community engagement to provide hands-on experience in carpentry, construction planning, safety and teamwork while showcasing locally sourced materials and timber framing. Planned activities described in the report include completion of plans, milling of timbers, the University of Wyoming workshop, construction of the concrete pad, erection of the shelter by SkillsUSA students and entry into the 2027 state contest.