Photo – John Campbell with the ICON A5.
By Kim Stevens
John Campbell has announced his retirement from the Virginia Department of Aviation (DOAV) as Deputy Director, Communications and Education. He began his time with the agency on December 10, 2017. His last day in the office will be December 10, 2025. “If I could have spent my 34+ years of state service with this agency I would have,” says Campbell.
Campbell came to Virginia in 1983 to serve in the U.S. Air Force at Langley AFB in Hampton. “I was a public affairs officer for the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, Tactical Air Command.” After his service ended, he earned a master’s degree in media management from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. He moved back to the Tidewater area to become the public information officer for the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Suffolk District.
A year later, he became the director of college relations for Christopher Newport College where he helped transition the school from a college to a university. During his five years at Christopher Newport University, he served as director of college relations; assistant vice president for university relations; and vice president for development. In an unusual twist, he went from a university administrator to a university professor where he taught public relations at Virginia Commonwealth University. “As I was never a fan of tenure, I resigned and went to work for a couple of nonprofits.” He then rejoined state service to become the director of public information for the Virginia Department of Forestry in 2005. “I was there for 13 years and thought I would spend the rest of my career there, but the position opened up at the Virginia Department of Aviation, and I jumped at the opportunity to return to aviation as the director of communications and education (now deputy director of the DOAV).”
Campbell says his eight years at the DOAV have been filled with many amazing opportunities. “The department truly embraces its mission to not only provide aviation education but to inspire the next generation of aviation professionals — it’s not a slogan and it’s not an after-thought. It’s purposeful; it’s intentional. It’s baked into the core of the agency.” When Campbell pitched the idea to purchase a real airplane and take it to schools and community events, there wasn’t a bit of hesitation among those who would have to help make it happen. In fact, they took his low-budget idea to acquire a used Cessna 150 and a regular commercial trailer and recommended that he consider getting an ICON A5. “I contacted the ICON company, pitched the idea, and the rest is history,” said Campbell. Over the past four years, more than 87,000 students have had the opportunity to sit in the ICON cockpit and operate the controls while learning about the four forces of flight from the DOAV aviation education team. “It just can’t get more inspirational than that.”
Growing up, aviation did play a part in the Campbell family. “My grandfather was an aerial spotter for a tank column in the European Theatre during World War II, so I loved to hear his stories. He had 245 sorties under his belt without incident. When he returned to the states, we was on a training mission in Oklahoma when he was shot down by a farmer who thought it was an enemy attack. He survived and returned to civilian life shortly after that. His life inspired my interest in aviation, but my family pushed me in another direction,” said Campbell.
When he became disillusioned with college, Campbell entered the Air Force to rekindle that excitement. His office at Langley AFB was right at the end of the runway, so he had the opportunity to witness dozens of F-15 Eagles take off and land every day. As an Air Force public affairs officer and photojournalist, he had the opportunity to fly in the F-15, C-130, C-128, KC-10, KC-135, C-141, and a UH-1P Huey. “Just before my time in the Air Force, a group of Thunderbirds crashed and the Tactical Air Command commander (General Creech) directed that aerial performances be videotaped by a ground crew in the event another crash of a demonstration squad occur,” recalled Campbell. “Langley AFB was chosen to be the first F-15 demo team, and I was selected to be the ground videographer to travel with the demo team.” After traveling with the demo team for six months, Campbell recommended that they train aircraft crew chiefs to operate the video cameras as once the F-15 was airborne, they had free time until the aircraft landed. It was a money-saving idea that was quickly approved and implemented. “In hindsight, I should have kept my mouth shut and traveled with the demo team for three years!”
Campbell acknowledges that there are many career choices for people today, “but let’s face it,” he says, “aviation is certainly among the coolest professions in the world. It’s not a hard sell, but it’s about making sure people are aware of it and have the opportunity to experience it. When they do, it sells itself.”
Unfortunately, Campbell notes that a number of factors have created barriers to the aviation experience; Security concerns have forced the industry to fence off airports, budget woes have reduced or eliminated school field trips, the cost of training, whether it’s to become a pilot or an aviation maintainer, has put the career out of reach for some. “Fortunately, a number of organizations, nonprofits and for-profit businesses have stepped up to help, but more is definitely needed if aviation is to continue to grow and prosper,” says Campbell. “Take advantage of the many programs and opportunities that are out there — Civil Air Patrol, the Pathways Flight Academy, Young Eagles, Women Can Fly, scholarships, apprenticeships, etc. If you are passionate about aviation, you will find a path forward.”
When asked to consider his strongest memories from the last eight years, Campbell said there are two things during his tenure at the agency that he will carry with him always. The first school they took the ICON to was a rural, Title I school where not a single student would ever have had an opportunity to get up close and personal with an aircraft unless they brought it to them. They could see the first group of 5th graders lining up in the school hallway preparing to come out and see the ICON. When the door opened, the very first student in line yelled: “This is the greatest day in my life!” “I couldn’t have written that reaction in a script,” said Campbell.
To this day, that student’s reaction has served as the DOAV team’s inspiration to ensure that they are doing nothing less than inspiring each and every student with whom they interact in their ICON A5 Introduction to Flight program. This led to Campbell’s second strongest memory when Agency Director Greg Campbell stepped up on the stage at the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) national convention and trade show in Columbia, SC, in 2022 to accept the award that honored the Virginia Department of Aviation as the Nation’s Best Aviation Education Program.
As Campbell wraps up his time with the agency, he reflects that all 36 DOAV employees are passionate about aviation, and are consummate professionals who provide an unmatched level of service to their customers and stakeholders. “You can’t ask for a better workplace!”
