Page 16 - Aug22T

for Dynamic Aviation. He works in the legacy hangar, which houses no less than the very first aircraft with the Air Force One callsign, president Eisenhower’s Lockheed Constella- tion, among other historical aircraft. Adam was just one of a bus full of students from Wilson Memorial High School in Fishersville, Virginia. They were able to take part in one of Dy- namic Aviation’s NEXTGEN Aviators experiences, right in Bridgewater, which is about a 30-minute drive from Fishersville. Adam starts his senior year in September and graduates in 2023.
The NEXTGEN experience sparked an interest in aviation as a career for him. “I did not expect to receive so much from the NEXTGEN event,” he said. “It was such a detailed introduc- tion to aviation careers.” He partici- pated in the technical familiarization stations consisting of introductions to aerodynamics, metal work, electrical systems and computer-aided design.
But it was the flight simulators and the actual flight in the King Air that really sealed the deal for Adam. “I was amazed that we could actually learn so much in such a short amount of time and get such an amazing over- view of piloting aircraft.” During the introductory f light, the NEXTGEN pi- lots took the kids to view their school from the air. “It was incredible that the 30-minute drive turned into a 5-minute flight. I was able to get a clear idea of the value of aviation. Plus, seeing our town and school from the air was really cool.” As a result of NEXTGEN, Adam is hooked. With his new experiences as an intern at Dynamic Aviation, he is planning to pursue a career as a pilot.
The impact NEXTGEN Aviators is making is real. A serious (serious- ly impactful, seriously compelling and seriously fun) program to bring aviation to kids across the country. NEXTGEN is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, and they’re actively
looking for partners and sponsors to help them accomplish their goals of building an enthusiastic and skilled generation of aviation professionals to help all of us meet our (and our customers’) needs. NEXTGEN part- nered with EAA, hosting GirlVenture at AirVenture at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in July. And they are actively partici- pating in NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention & Exposition in Orlando, Florida, in October 2022. NEXTGEN also has many sponsorship and mar- keting opportunities available.
More information can be found at
www.nextgenaviators.aero.
14 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2022
Covington
https://www.covingtonaircraft.com/
Lance Phillips is an aviation profes- sional, writer, pilot and photographer. He is executive director for the Pinnacle Air Network and owns Phillips Aero Services, an aviation marketing services provider. You can contact Lance at lance@phillipsaeroservices.com.