David Griffin Aviation Foundation

The David Griffin Aviation Foundation was started by a group of local Rock Hill pilots to raise money to help young people from our region achieve their aviation goals. Many of us had met people with great passion for flying, and a strong desire to seek a Private Pilot license yet could not pay the high cost of training at a commercial flight school.

Perhaps just as significant as our mission is the name chosen for this organization. Tragically, we lost David Henry Griffin in March 2019. David had served as President of EAA Chapter 961 and was active in Young Eagles, but he had also given so much more, especially when it came to aviation and the youth of York County.

David was born in Lancashire, England, and as a retired aeronautical engineer was quoted “My focus in life now is trying to pass on what little I know about aviation to young people.” In reality he knew a lot about aviation, as evidence when he spent two years with high school students at Fort Mill and Nation Ford building a replica Sopwith Camel bi-plane. This was the same type aircraft the legendary WWI Ace, Col. Elliot Springs of Fort Mill had flown in combat over Europe. That Sopwith Camel is now part of the Carolina Aviation Museum collection and is just one example of many youth-aviation projects that David completed. He had a reputation of bringing aeronautical engineering to life in the classroom, teaching students about flying, weather, and career opportunities in aviation. All this accomplished and still he found time to fly his beloved Cessna 150 all across the United States. Recognized for his work in youth education, David was inducted into the South Carolina Aviation Association Hall of Fame in 2014.

The founders of the David Griffin Aviation Foundation chose the name both to honor the memory of a man who gave so much to York County young people, and to capture the aviation spirit, enthusiasm, and dedication that David personified.

If you would like to participate in that same spirit that David had, please consider a monetary donation to the David Griffin Aviation Foundation, 550 Airport Rd. – Suite 500, Rock Hill, SC 29732. This is an IRS certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and we pledge to use every dollar to help young folks in our community achieve their dream of a pilot license.