Tuesday, June 11, 2024 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 P.
