WTOC, Savannah, Georgia, news, weather and sports | Students learn to fly high on Aviation Awareness Day
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By Karla Redditte - bio | email
SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - About 150 area students stepped out of the classroom and into what could be the beginning of an exciting future in aviation.
"You get to come out, have fun with your friends and see all these different airplanes, air crafts," said Drew Brindley of South Effingham County Middle School.
This is all part of Aviation Awareness Day, teaching students about many opportunities in civilian and military aviation.
"Today, they are being exposed to several briefings and life stories of folks that have gone through and grown in their shoes and the paths they've taken to go through pilot training as well as expose them to various types of aircraft, and talking to vendors and recruiters about getting started on their path in life," said Captain Sheldon Wilson of the 165th Airlift Wing and Combat Readiness Training Center.
And for many pilots, the path starts with math and science, and these students are tops in their class when it comes to those subjects.
"Math and science drives our technology, with emphasis with today being flying, and that's important to set a foundation early to build upon so that learning the complex skills will be easy for the kids as they progress through pilot training if they choose that career field," said Wilson.
And Chris Garcia of Richmond Hill Middle School can clearly see an airplane in his future.
"I've been at all these planes, deciding what career I should do," said Garcia. "It's very interesting how they control them. It's pretty fun and exciting to do this, fly planes and stuff."
And whether or not these students choose aviation as a career, organizers hope this experience will help them reach for the sky and beyond.
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