Aiden S. Pianalto
Eagle Scout Service Project

Eagle Scout Service Project Lead

March Field Air Museum

Led the fundraising, design coordination, fabrication, volunteer effort, and installation of a standardized flightline signage system for the March Field Air Museum.

LocationRiverside, California
DatesNovember 2023 — November 2024
Focus
LeadershipProject ManagementDesign CoordinationManufacturingFundraisingConstruction
150Flightline sign systems produced
~$35KMonetary and in-kind project support
882+Total project hours
32,000 lbConcrete incorporated into the project
AT A GLANCE
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Led production of 150 standardized flightline sign systems.

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Raised approximately $35,000 in monetary and in-kind support.

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Coordinated approximately 882 total project hours.

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Managed fabrication and installation involving roughly 32,000 pounds of concrete.

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Created a repeatable system and documentation for future museum expansion.

01

From a Few Signs to the Entire Flightline

The original opportunity involved installing only a small number of informational signs. I expanded the project into a standardized system for the museum's outdoor aircraft collection.

  • Created a consistent signage system across the flightline.
  • Designed around long-term outdoor exposure.
  • Added QR codes linking visitors to detailed aircraft information.
  • Produced additional assemblies for future museum expansion.
Completed March Field Air Museum information sign

Completed aluminum information-cap assembly used throughout the museum flightline.

02

Design & Engineering

The sign system was developed for repeatable fabrication, outdoor durability, replaceable components, and long-term museum use.

  • Concrete pillar base with aluminum information cap.
  • Replaceable DuraBlack information and QR-code plates.
  • Material selection intended to minimize corrosion.
  • Standardized components for repeatable fabrication.
  • Coordinated documentation of dimensions, hardware, sourcing, and assembly.
Engineering drawing for the March Field Air Museum flightline sign system

Assembly drawing for the flightline sign system.

Formal engineering drawings created by John Gorder.

03

Fabrication

  • Coordinated purchased, professionally manufactured, and volunteer-fabricated components.
  • Sourced aluminum, hardware, concrete, and specialty materials.
  • Used laser-marked DuraBlack aluminum information plates.
  • Developed repeatable assembly and installation procedures.
  • Provided fabrication equipment and tooling to the museum for future production.
Assembly of the aluminum information sign caps

Assembly and inspection of the aluminum sign-cap system prior to installation.

04

Fundraising & Community Support

Funding a project of this scale required extensive outreach to civic organizations, businesses, community members, and industry contacts.

  • Approximately $35,000 in monetary and in-kind support.
  • Presented the project to civic and community organizations.
  • Used direct outreach and LinkedIn networking.
  • Created a project fundraising video.
  • Worked with donors and vendors to reduce material and fabrication costs.
Eagle Scout project fundraising presentations 1
Eagle Scout project fundraising presentations 2
Eagle Scout project fundraising presentations 3

Presenting the project to civic and community organizations during the fundraising campaign.

05

Installation & Leadership

  • Coordinated Scouts, adults, museum personnel, donors, and vendors.
  • Organized workdays and installation phases.
  • Managed tools, materials, schedules, and volunteer communication.
  • Oversaw installation throughout the museum flightline.
  • Adapted to supplier delays, fabrication issues, and field conditions.
Aiden Pianalto coordinating installation work at March Field Air Museum

Coordinating field work during installation of the flightline signage system.

06

Recognition

The project received the Glenn A. and Melinda W. National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award from the California Inland Empire Council.

  • Featured in The Press-Enterprise during project construction.
  • Featured by KCAL / CBS Los Angeles.
  • Standardized outdoor interpretive signage across the museum flightline.
  • Provided surplus components for future expansion.
  • Provided the museum with drawings, assembly documentation, tools, and fabrication equipment for continued use.
Press-Enterprise feature about Aiden Pianalto's Eagle Scout project

The project was featured in The Press-Enterprise during construction in September 2024.

Watch CBS Los Angeles Feature ↗Watch Project Summary ↗