The 40’s come to life at the USU Hangar Hop
What do an old airport hangar, 1947 airplanes and a big band swing group have in common?
Put them together and it makes for one unique and fantastic night.
The fourth annual Utah State University Aviation Hangar Hop was held at the Logan Airport Hangar on Saturday April 13. The Hangar Hop featured The Cache Community Band and left community members swinging and grooving to the music long after the evening’s activities drew to a close.
Four years ago, USU Aviation professor Andreas Wesemann and aviation student Nathaniel Atwood had an idea to plan a fundraiser unlike any other to help fund the USU Flight Team’s travel for competitions.
What started out as a simple idea quickly turned into one of the Aviation department’s most exciting nights of spring semester.
Wesemann had seen the USU Big Band Swing club practice and loved listening to the music. Atwood, who had been involved in the Big Band Swing club his senior year, suggested organizing a dance, and thus the Hangar Hop was born.
With the location of the airport hangar, the Cache Community Band as the entertainers, and 1940’s style dancing, the Hangar Hop soon became a huge hit and has only been gaining popularity as the years have gone by.
As a huge fan of the culture and time period of the 1940’s, Atwood has loved being a part of a club that brings the 1940’s to life.
“I love being able to bring the message and that kind of culture to the present day, and so that way we don’t forget one of the greatest times in U.S. history,” Atwood said.
Atwood said that he has loved delving into the history of the time period through re-enactments and learning more about the elegant aircraft of that era.
As a member of the Air Force himself for 27 years, Wesemann sought to embody the era of the 1940’s, what he calls “the greatest generation.”
“It brings back and evokes some of those emotions. My wife and I get to dress up and have a good time,” Wesemann said. “It’s also a chance to rub shoulders with people that are aviation-minded and just brings us back to a fun time in history.”
Claire Dugger, president of USU’s Women in Aviation chapter, has helped plan the Hangar Hop since her freshman year and has loved the responsibilities of helping organize the event.
An event of this size doesn’t come without challenges, which Dugger has met head on with the help of others in the Aviation program.
“There’s always something you have to improvise with, but honestly the challenge does make it kind of fun. I love it,” Dugger said.
Dugger has enjoyed watching everything come together over the years, especially as the Flight Team seeks to improve year after year.
“It’s always stressful because we never know how many people are going to show up,” Dugger said. “We wonder if we advertised enough and if we made all the necessary preparations, and I always want it to be perfect—or as perfect as it can be.”
Andy Neeley, an aviation technology senior, joined the USU Flight Team last semester and has loved getting to compete with other flight program schools. Neeley said that the Hangar Hop is their only fundraising event of the year and it brings in a quarter of their budget.
Neeley loves that the Hangar Hop brings the community and the university together under one roof—in this case, the airport hangar roof.
“It’s good to get people out to the airport to see the airplanes and get them more familiar with it,” Neeley said. “When they are more familiar with it, they are more likely to support it.”
While Neeley said he isn’t much of a dancer, he loves that he gets to help educate people who may not get to learn that much about airplanes and flying.
“When people come to these events, I want them to ask me a question,” Neeley said. “And even if I don’t know the answer, I want them to ask.”
Both Dugger and Atwood enjoy the carefree atmosphere that the Hangar Hop provides as students are preparing for finals.
“This dance is something you don’t see every day. It’s almost kind of rare, and it’s really fun to show up and try something completely new,” Dugger said.
Savannah Perkins, a first-time visitor to the Hangar Hop, wasn’t quite sure what to expect. But her friends convinced her to put her homework aside for a night and get dressed up, so she did just that.
“I loved everyone’s outfits and the live band really topped it off,” Perkins said. “I loved just being able to let loose and being able to dance and ignore all the homework I had at home. It was a much-needed break.”
Whether one wants to enjoy the live music or just try something new, the Hangar Hop is a place for everyone to “cut loose” and have fun.
“It’s not just for college students and it’s not just for older people,” Dugger said. “It’s for everyone, and it’s a totally different dynamic than you see anywhere else. Do you like live music, trying new things or meeting new people and just want to hang out with friends and have fun? This is the perfect place to do just that.”
—kortni.marie.wells@aggiemail.usu.edu
@kortniwells