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Alaska Airlines thrilled teen Scouts from Kailua, Hawai’i at Aviation Day in Seattle, offering simulator flights and insights from aviation professionals. The event aimed to inspire young people to pursue careers in aviation and aerospace.
During the day, Scouts operated immersive flight simulators, participated in emergency evacuation drills, and toured aircraft at Alaska’s Sea-Tac Hangar, solidifying their future career aspirations.
The two teenagers were silent and focused, watching intently as 17-year-old Jeb Vaughn prepared the Boeing 737 for landing.
“Nice, dude,” said Matthew Meinert, as his fellow Scout lined up navigational sights with markers on the runway.
A few seconds later, Jeb safely landed the plane. However, instead of taxiing to the terminal, the scene in front of them reset. It was now Matthew’s turn to operate the flight simulator.
Jeb, Matthew, and four other Scouts from Kailua, Hawaiʻi, were at the Alaska Airlines Flight Training Center in Seattle, participating in Aviation Day—Alaska’s annual event designed to inspire young people to pursue careers in aviation and aerospace.
Aviation Day offers young people the chance to gain hands-on experience and connect with professionals from the aviation industry. Captain Tom Rogers founded the event in 2008 to introduce youth to various career paths in aviation. This year, Seattle’s Aviation Day welcomed around 1,500 participants, including Scouts, STEM groups, Civil Air Patrol, and other clubs from across the Pacific Northwest. Notably, this is the first year Alaska Airlines has flown youth from Hawaiʻi to participate in Aviation Day.
Welcoming the Next Generation of Aviators
The Hawaiʻi Scouts from Troop 331 and Aviation Explorer Hawaiʻi Post 2013 were chosen for their keen interest in aviation careers. The Aviation Exploring Program, affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America, emphasizes hands-on learning experiences.
During the day, the Hawaiʻi Scouts operated a second, immersive flight simulator, learned about safety systems through emergency evacuation drills, and toured various aircraft at Alaska’s Sea-Tac Hangar. Their favorite aircraft was the Apache helicopter, operated by the U.S. Army. They also visited the Alaska Airlines Network Operations Center, where they learned how different teams collaborate to manage the Alaska Airlines network safely and efficiently.
For the Scouts, participating in Aviation Day solidified their future career aspirations.
“I want my entire career, my whole life, to be flying,” said Explorer Nathan Grach. “I got to meet a lot of different pilots and engineers, and it really opened my eyes to how much there is to aviation. Growing up in Hawaiʻi, you only see a little bit of it. By coming out here, I got to see so many things and meet a lot of people.”
“I’m a big aviation nerd. I love all things aviation and I jumped at the opportunity to come to Seattle,” said Jeb, a Troop 331 Life Scout who plans to follow in his father’s footsteps by pursuing a career as a U.S. Marine Corps fighter pilot. “Aviation Day made me more excited because there are opportunities outside of the military for aviation and some other cool career paths with helicopters that I haven’t been informed of before now.”
Jeb’s father, Chad Vaughn, is now a First Officer with Hawaiian Airlines and a leader of Troop 331. He joined Hawaiian Airlines after a distinguished 26-year career as a Marine Corps aviator.
“Any time we can expand their horizons, especially by seeing things away from the Islands and seeing different ways of doing things, it’s an awesome opportunity,” said First Officer Vaughn. “Mentors were very important to me growing up, both on the military aviation side, as well as the commercial aviation side. I think all of us want to continue to give back and provide that mentorship and that spark to the Scouts.”
Our Amazing Volunteers
The Hawaiʻi Scouts were guided through Aviation Day by Mauricio Guerra Escamez, Alaska Airlines’ Managing Director of the Enterprise Project Management Organization. Aviation Day is a volunteer-led initiative, with over 250 aviation professionals dedicating their time to mentor young participants and share insights about their careers. Many of these volunteers are current or retired Alaska Airlines employees.
“As volunteers, we are custodians of this great event,” said Guerra Escamez. “We all share a passion for this industry, and that is what makes this event so special. We want to be able to build the leaders of tomorrow within our communities.”
Throughout the day, the Scouts interacted with a diverse group of volunteers, including aviators, engineers, flight attendants, and operations specialists. Each volunteer emphasized that the day’s activities provided a glimpse into the aviation industry’s strong spirit of teamwork.
“It’s easy to look at a plane and say, ‘I want to go fly the plane,’” said First Officer Vaughn. “But the more that you understand the background of what goes into making that plane fly, whether it’s the maintenance, the operations center, the cabin crew—all those different pieces work together as a team.”
“For me personally, it is a time when I can share my passion for the aviation industry with young adults and share my career path that allowed me to join the Alaska Airlines Group,” said Guerra Escamez. “We measure success today with smiles from attendees experiencing Aviation Day and sharing with them what a career in this industry can offer.”
The post Alaska Airlines Inspires Future Aviators in Hawai at Exciting Aviation Day appeared first on Travel And Tour World.
