STEM Spotlight: Putnam City program helps students pursue careers in aviation

STUDENTS UP FOR SUCCESS FOR A CAREER IN AVIATION. PUTNAM CITY STARTED THEIR AVIATION PROGRAM IN THEIR HIGH SCHOOLS LAST YEAR. IT’S FOR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO BECOME PROFESSIONAL PILOTS, BUT ALSO AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS. IT’S ALL ABOUT CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR FUTURES, WHATEVER IT MAY LOOK LIKE. OH. OKLAHOMA NEEDS MORE WORKERS IN THE AVIATION INDUSTRY. THE MECHANICS. WE NEED PILOTS. WE NEED DRONE. WE NEED EVERYONE OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, THERE’S EXPECTED TO BE A GAP OF MORE THAN 100,000 PROFESSIONAL PILOTS AND AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE PUTNAM CITY AVIATION PROGRAM IS HELPING THAT WORKFORCE GAP. THE PROGRAM IS IN ITS SECOND YEAR FOR SOPHOMORES THROUGH SENIORS. WE HOPE THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR STUDENTS WILL HAVE BE INVOLVED IN THAT WORKFORCE, WHETHER AS A PILOT, WHETHER AS A MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN, WHETHER AS A DRONE PILOT STUDY STUDENTS LEARN THAT YOU CAN FLY AND CHOOSE AEROSPACE CURRICULUM, BOTH STATEWIDE PROGRAMS THAT MAKE CAREERS IN AVIATION ACCESSIBLE AND THE PUTNAM CITY AVIATION PROGRAM INTEGRATES FLIGHT SIMULATIONS INTO THEIR TEACHING. SO IF THEY’RE LEARNING MAINTENANCE ON GROUND OPERATIONS AND HOW TO TAXI AN AIRCRAFT ON OR OFF OF RUNWAY OR START UP AN ENGINE, WE CAN EASILY USE A FLIGHT SIMULATOR TO SIMULATE THAT ENVIRONMENT FOR THE STUDENTS, WHETHER THE STUDENT PLANS TO BECOME A PILOT BY EARNING A COLLEGE DEGREE OR GO RIGHT INTO A FLIGHT PROGRAM, THE PUTNAM CITY AVIATION CLASSES TEACH THE STUDENTS WHAT THEY NEED TO KNOW IN AEROSPACE BEFORE THEY GET THERE. WHAT WE LIKE TO DO HERE IS CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS. AND SO WHEN WE CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS, THEN IT’S UP TO THEM ON WHICH PATH THAT THEY WANT TO GO. THE LAKE HEFNER MEEKER JUST LIKE ELI BATS, A SENIOR AT PUTNAM CITY NORTH, I CAME INTO HIGH SCHOOL AND A PROGRAM OPENED UP FOR AVIATION. SO I JOINED THAT. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IT’S LIKE THIS COULD ACTUALLY BE SOMETHING THAT I WOULD WANT TO DO IN THE FUTURE OUT OF APPROXIMATELY 100 STUDENTS NATIONWIDE, ELI WAS SELECTED FOR THE U.S. AIR FORCE RECRUITING SERVICES AIM FLIGHT ACADEMY TO GET A STEP AHEAD IN HIS PATH TO BECOME A PILOT. THEY HAVE TO BE STUDENTS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN FLYING, BUT MAY NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO START FLIGHT SCHOOL. ELI’S GOAL IS TO BECOME A COMMERCIAL PILOT OR EVEN JOIN THE AIR FORCE AND THE AVIATION PROGRAM AT PUTNAM CITY NORTH HAS GIVEN HIM THE SKILLS HE NEEDS TO PURSUE IT. THERE’S A LOT OF THINGS YOU THINK YOU KNOW BEFORE YOU GET INTO A PROGRAM THAT’S ALL ABOUT AVIATION, ESPECIALLY IF YOU LOOKED INTO AVIATION AND STUFF. BUT THERE’S THERE’S STILL LIKE SMALL THINGS THAT YOU PICK UP ON, LIKE EVERY DAY THAT’S LIKE, OH, I DIDN’T KNOW THAT FOR THIS WEEK’S STEM SPOTLIG