Josh, Couldn't help but laugh and cry when listening to the podcast on the way to work. I was a mess by the time I got there. One of my dreams has always been a ministry retreat, very similar to what you are going for. I've been passionate about aviation my entire life, and I never thought of putting the two together; but that seems like exactly what you have been thinking. God bless you in your endeavor. You've all been a huge blessing to me and my family, more than words can ever express... Thank you.
Now for my idea... simulator cockpits. My passion for aviation took the form of flight simulators (didn't have foamboard). Growing up in the tech bubble, and since my parents were against me joining the air force, I decided the next best thing to flying a real F-16 was a simulator. I've flown flight simulators since the original Microsoft Flight Sim on a IBM PS1 with only a keyboard. Well, things have changed a bit, and now you can get some pretty good fidelity simulators on the cheap. Soooo... I think you should have some simulator cockpits scattered around the new campus for when it's rainy days, or as a good training tool for the transition to full scale. They don't have to be anything special, but kids of all ages love to try their hand at it. I should know, I have seven. You could make some really cool cockpit shells too. I built
this one out of mostly scrap wood. Total cost was around $150+ PC and controls. The Kalamazoo Air Zoo has a really cool setup with all their simulators on a mock carrier deck background. Flight simulators in virtual reality is also really cool, and is getting very close to the real thing. Maybe someone has a lead on motion simulators? Ok, now I'm dreaming!
Oh, and an aviation themed snack shop/cafe sounds awesome!
Thanks again, FT Brothers. I can't wait to visit/help with the FT playground
JG