Editor’s Note: This story is part of a summertime series featuring youth camps in Orange County.
Tucked away in a corner of Orange County’s smallest airport is one of OC’s smallest summer camps.
Tom Sutfin founded the aviation-themed camp in 2008 at Long Beach Airport and added the Fullerton Municipal Airport last year.
An aviation Instructor at Cypress College, Sutfin said the camp is loosely based on private pilot skills and knowledge, which he refers to as “hard fun.”
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Counselor Baominh Dang shows campers how to preflight an Cessna 172 during Aviation Summer Camp at Fullerton Airport in Fullerton on Thursday, July 16, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Counselor Baominh Dang shows campers how to preflight an Cessna 172 during Aviation Summer Camp at Fullerton Airport in Fullerton on Thursday, July 16, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
“The kids are having fun, but they’re also learning about topics like charts, airplane types and calculations like weight balance,” he said.
Sutfin, who also previously taught at the high school level, said he started the aviation camp after seeing a lot of cutbacks in shop classes during the Great Recession.
“I did some soul searching and reflecting on value-added things for the community,” he said.
The campers, between 10 and 15 years old, spend time on a flight simulator and a combat simulator where they’re either working together on a mission or head-to-head against each other.
They also visit the airport’s control tower and meet with controllers while they are working the airspace.
The young aviators also get some hands-on experience learning how pilots conduct a preflight on an airplane.
There are eight, one-week sessions at the Fullerton and Long Beach airports and Flabob Airport in Riverside.
While the camp doesn’t include flight time, campers can purchase a one-hour flight for a reduced price.