A group of students got behind-the-scenes access at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport on Wednesday through a week-long opportunity focused on aviation.
The Aerospace Career Education (ACE) Academy provides middle and high school students with hands-on experiences to explore careers in the industry. The program is run by the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals.
Through a partnership with American Airlines, the academy’s Charlotte camp took students to tour the airfield as well as American Airlines’ maintenance hangar and flight training center.
A tour of the hangar showcased different areas, such as the composite area and the spray paint area, giving students a glimpse into the various aspects of aircraft maintenance.
One student, Samantha Lindo, a 17-year-old aspiring pilot, shared her dream of pursuing a career in aviation. She told QCity Metro that she became interested in aviation after a family trip.
“I was just looking out the window [of a plane], and I was thinking, ‘how cool would it be to see this every day,'” she said.
Her mother, Terri Lindo, 50, said she learned of ACE Academy after Samantha had already been accepted into the program.
“I didn’t know anything. I was just in my office working, and [Samantha] came in and said, ‘Tim is on the phone, and I think you should talk to him,'” Lindo said, laughing. “So I got on the phone and learned that she had this amazing opportunity that was a complete surprise to me.”
Samantha researched opportunities in aviation, found the program, and applied independently.
“I’m proud of her for taking that initiative,” Timothy Brown, an American Airlines pilot and director of Charlotte ACE Academy, said.
Brown, 42, said seeing young people get excited about aviation is one of the most rewarding parts of the program for him.
“I didn’t have any mentors when I was coming through as a pilot … and these kids are the answer to our future,” Brown told media during the event, noting the staffing concerns across the aviation industry.
He told QCity Metro his interest in aviation was encouraged by his parents.
“My parents were self-employed, and they encouraged me to get a W-2 job, something with stability, consistency, and flying gave me both,” he said.
Now, his role as director of the Charlotte program offers him a chance to invest in students like Samantha and the others on the trip.
At Charlotte ACE Academy, students tour various aviation facilities, fly a flight simulator, learn aviation history, develop leadership skills, and, by the end of the program, go on a live flight.
Brown said several past participants of the program have become pilots, and he looks forward to seeing more of them do so.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be exposed to careers in aviation,” Terri Lindo said, noting her hope for other parents to consider the program. “If [students] want to learn what aviation has to offer, this program gives them first-hand experience ”
