Reaching New Heights

IT WAS AN off-the -cuff remark from a friend that would end up shaping Ed Havens’ life so significantly. He was 18 and had just graduated from high school, class of 1955.

“I was out with two guys and one of the characters said, ‘Let’s go join the Air Force,’” Havens says.

And so, they did. After three weeks of bootcamp, Havens was pulled out from the crowd; testing revealed his mechanical aptitude, and he was sent to Texas to attend jet engine school.

A long career as an aircraft and powerplant mechanic for multiple airlines would follow, taking him to dozens of countries where his talent and ingenuity kept planes flying safely worldwide.

Now, his contributions to the field are being recognized as he’s been elected into to the Aviation Hall of Fame of New Jersey—the museum for which he’s been a longtime beloved volunteer, spending countless hours sharing his vast knowledge with visitors young and old. “You’ve heard the expression: Find a job you like, and you’ll never work a day in your life,” Havens says. “Every time and every place I’ve ever worked on airplanes, it was so easy because I enjoyed it. It’s the same way with the museum—I’ve always raised my hand to do more because I truly love talking to people and explaining things.”

‘PACK YOUR BAGS’

As a kid growing up in New Milford, Havens says he had a knack for mechanics and enjoyed tinkering. Instead of car posters on his walls, he had airplane posters.

The world really opened up for Havens when the United States Air Force sent him for special training, he says. He spent four years in the service, fixing planes in Bermuda and the Azores.

To work commercially after leaving the Air Force, he needed a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) license, which he obtained at Teterboro School of Aeronautics.

He would go on to be a mechanic for airlines including American, Eastern, People Express, Flying Tigers and FedEx, mostly working with cargo airlines shipping anything from animals, like horses and monkeys, to fruit (Havens can’t stand the smell of strawberries to this day).

Now 87, Havens says he was never shy about raising his hand to accept bids or contracts to work on planes in other states or countries. He and his wife of more than 50 years, Carol, didn’t have children until 10 years into their marriage, when they adopted their son, then daughter, both born in Bogota, Colombia.

“There was always someplace to go, something to do,” Havens says of those early years. “I’d come home and say to Carol, ‘Pack your bags.’”

The couple spent six months living in Israel and traveled within the states living for periods in Boston and Charleston while maintaining their home in Ho-Ho-Kus. But mostly, Havens “wandered the world” solo, doing rotations traveling to places like Australia, Italy and Saudi Arabia to keep aircrafts flying. Carol says he’s always loved what he does.

“Once an aircraft was on the ground it was mine—I made sure it was fixed and ready to go for the next flight,” he says. “It was my life. You could never make a mistake, and I’m geared that way—I’m a little bit of a perfectionist, and you had to be.”

As Havens’ kids entered elementary school, he was able to work closer to home at Newark Liberty International Airport. He retired in 2000 but couldn’t stay far from the planes. He took on a part-time job as a limo driver, transporting people to and from tri-state area airports (he was an expert at navigating them, after all).

He gave up the limo gig after about 10 years. Carol joked that he was “rattling around the house, on her turf.” She felt compelled to suggest he volunteer at the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum, located in Teterboro.

“He has so much knowledge to pass on,” she says. “He’s the kind of person that when he does something, he does it 100%. He’s very committed to the museum.”

HALL OF FAME STATUS

Founded in 1972, the museum preserves New Jersey’s aviation and space heritage, displaying historic aircrafts, space equipment, artifacts, photographs, art and an aircraft model collection.

A top-ranked museum in New Jersey, Carol calls the well-maintained destination “a little gem.”

Havens started off as a volunteer in 2009, then became a docent and is now President of the museum’s executive committee. He especially enjoys sharing aviation history with kids and veterans that come in and say, “I was there.”

Ralph Villecca Sr., executive director of the museum, says he and Havens hit it off from day one.

“Whatever needs to get done, Ed is always there with his technical expertise and general enthusiasm to help out,” Villecca says.

And though Villecca knew some aspects of his colleague’s background, he says he didn’t realize how extensive Havens’ aviation maintenance experience was until his daughter Elizabeth, a trustee of the museum, sent him more information about her dad, inquiring if he would be a good candidate for the Aviation Hall of Fame.

“His career might not be considered as glamourous as some of our Hall of Fame pilots, but if not for the Ed Havens of the world, we would not be flying reliably and safely on the 45,000 flights that occur every day worldwide,” Elizabeth wrote. “And our youthful visitors to the Aviation Hall of Fame are very likely to find successful and satisfying aviation employment in the jobs Ed had, and I believe our Hall of Fame should acknowledge that important aspect of aviation.”

Villecca said he was blown away by all of the things Havens has done, which were documented in his extensive records, including letters of commendation and awards from employers, along with personal diaries documenting his work and travels.

“Ed is extremely humble,” Villecca says. “He’s done remarkable things. If he needed to get something working on a plane, whether he was in Australia or Southeast Asia, he managed to do it.”

And among world famous astronauts and aviators from New Jersey in the Aviation Hall of Fame, including Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, Buzz Aldrin and Mark Kelly, Villecca says Havens has earned his spot.

“We didn’t have anyone that contributed significantly to aviation mechanics and maintenance until Ed,” Villecca says. “Pilots can do amazing things, but they can only do amazing things if the plane can fly. And that’s what Ed did—he kept planes flying all over the world for so many years.”

For more about The Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey, visit njahof.org.

BY SARAH NOLAN