Aerospace America Gears Up for Career Day

What is it like in space? What is it like to fly a jet fighter or a small civilian airplane? Two hundred Oklahoma City tenth and eleventh grade Santa Fe South High School students will get answers to these questions and many more like them as they participate in Career Day, the kickoff event for the annual Oklahoma City Airshow.

Metro Tech Aviation Career Center in South Oklahoma City will host the students on Friday, September 26, for a keynote address by Retired Col. Tim Grey, president of the Charles B. Hall Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen.

The students will attend hands-on classes at the Metro Tech Aviation Career Center, FAA Mike Monroney Center, The Oklahoma Air National Guard Base and Will Rogers World Airport. These classes and a series of speakers will provide information to make these students aware of the many aviation and aerospace career opportunities available to them.

America International Airshow, Too:

Not only will these students get a first hand introduction to aviation careers but will also learn the educational requirements to obtain jobs in these areas. These young people participating in Career Day will receive special t-shirts and tickets to attend the 18th annual Aerospace America International Airshow, one of the top five airshows in the world, on October 3, 4 & 5, 2003. At the airshow, students will have opportunities to met Airshow performers and learn more about aviation careers.

Career Day is sponsored in part by the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission in their initiative to promote aviation education and the Centennial of Flight Celebration. Career Day provides a new perspective to inner city youth, who may not have considered careers in aviation as an option according to Pam Kennedy, event coordinator.

"Aviation is a great hook that can motivate students to stay in school and achieve degrees in higher education," Kennedy said. "Oklahoma City is indebted to the Aerospace America International Airshow for providing educational opportunities for youth in our community while also promoting aviation, the largest industry in our state."

Youth attending the event will receive information packets regarding aviation careers in Oklahoma.

FMI: www.aerospaceokc.com