Sussex Elementary School, Baltimore, MD

In my third school visit, the students and I highlighted career choices and planning. Before our first visit, the students had brainstormed some of the careers they were interested in. Many wanted to be athletes, a few doctors, teachers, and even a pilot or two! In the week prior to this last visit they were encouraged to either interview someone they knew who was in a career they were interested in, or to research the career requirements online.

We were very honored to have a special guest with us this week. Mr. Darrell Pierson, (BWI) Baltimore customer service manager for Southwest Airlines, shared his special insight into careers in aviation. Not only did Mr. Pierson share his own story of how he came to this point in his career, but he also gave us a glimpse at many of the "behind the scene" careers available in commercial aviation. We talked about what it takes to become a customer service agent, a ramp and baggage agent, an operations agent, an airport administrator, a station (airport)coordinator, a fueler, a marshaller, a flight attendant, a cleaner, and touched on some of the constellation of opportunities available at the Southwest corporate headquarters. The common themes that kept arising were:

1. Finish High School and look for opportunities to further your education.

2. Set a goal for yourself, research what it takes to get there, and network with others who can help you get there.

3. Keep a positive attitude, be kind to everyone you meet, and prepare yourself today for opportunities that may come tomorrow.

Mr. Steve Ratliff, an ex-crew chief and aircraft mechanic for Northrop, who is now self-employed as a mechanical engineer and aircraft systems fabricator, sent along many "show and tell" items to help illustrate the world of aircraft maintenance and fabrication. We got to compare aluminum sheets with aluminum honeycomb, and held foam-core material that is used to make interior bulkheads and walls. We saw a variety of tools of the trade, including many that were familiar to us such as protractors, rulers, drills and clamps. We even got our "strongest" student to hold the rudder of a Tri-pacer airplane that is made of aluminum and fabric...it was amazingly light!

Finally, we had two volunteers "dress up" as a commercial airline pilot and a military fighter pilot. We found that much of their clothing is either functionally designed to serve a specific purpose, or indicates a certain rank or responsibility. We did decide that the tie serves no useful purpose whatsoever!

This week the students will finish up their interview and research and begin looking forward to our Great Paper Airplane Fly-Off next week!

See you soon...Pilot Tom K.