Aviation Career Academy

Creating Passion And Sparking Young Interest In Flight Is The Goal Of The.

Every summer at airports throughout the country, the Federal Aviation Administration sponsors the Aviation Academy for middle school and high school students. The Aviation Academy, actually a summer camp that runs for four or five days and usualy begins at 8:30 a. M. And ends at 6 p. M. , was created for youngsters as a way of sparking passion and a life-long interest in flight and aviation and perhaps to generate an early interest in one of the many career-paths in the aviation industry. Local airports and military air-bases are often the location of the Aviation Academy, and sometimes they are conducted with a state's motor vehicle bureau that has an aviation division.

Part of the Aviation Academy is fun and the other part is educational. On the fun-side, youngsters get a close-up look at different aircraft. They get the chance to use flight simulators. They tour the maintenance hangers of large commercial airlines to see how the aircraft is repaired, maintained, cleaned and kept in good operating condition. Then they take a tour of the air-traffic control tower and listen to air controllers instruct the pilots on landings and take-offs. They may even get the opportunity to build and fly model airplanes. Usually, the fun part of the Aviation Academy's summer camp is topped off with an actual flight on an aircraft.

If the airport is located near businesses and industries that serve the airline industry and the airport, the students will tour those industries to see what they do and how they do it. On the educational side of the Aviation Academy, youngsters will learn the history of flight, how airplanes fly, what a flight plan is and how to complete one. They will also learn the importance of math, science, engineering and technology and how it applies to the aviation industry. And, there will be interesting speakers on aviation topics to keep that passionate spark alive.