The recent air show at Luke Air Force Base may have left thousands of children with dreams of one day flying, but some students are taking their dreams to new heights.
More than a dozen students ages 12 to 18 visited Luke Air Force Base May 30 as part of the Aviation Career Education Camp sponsored by the Arthur-Ragsdale Arizona Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Inc.
"We sent applications to the local schools," said Ben Bruce, 56th Fighter Wing Safety Ground Safety manager and Tuskegee Airmen Inc. chapter historian. "Kids with an interest in aviation were selected to participate. The camp is a full week and introduced the children to a variety of aeronautical careers including air traffic control and maintenance operations."
The goal of Tuskegee Airmen Inc. is to provide opportunities for children to gain the skills needed to be successful in the careers they're interested in, Bruce said. The camp provided the children an introduction to an array of aeronautical careers.
"It's great to see the children have these kinds of opportunities," said Airman 1st Class Ashley Nichols, 308th Aircraft Maintenance Unit F-16 crew chief and one of the presenters for the group. "We're just opening their eyes to the possibilities out there for them. As a female, I didn't realize all the career choices the Air Force provided until I enlisted."
While the children all have slightly different views on what their futures hold, they all gained knowledge to aid in their future career decisions from their visit to Luke.
"I want to be in the Air Force when I get older," said Amaya Moore, 14, a high school student, during the tour. "I didn't even know what the F-16 was before this, but talking to the Luke Airmen has really opened my eyes to the different possibilities for me. I might just fly one of those in a few years."
The Tuskegee Airmen Inc. works with youth interested in aviation by encouraging them to focus on science and math studies because those skills translate to almost any aeronautical career, Bruce said.
"It is youth who are going to ensure our future," he said. "So our goal is to make sure they are as prepared as possible."
The camp began in 2006 when the Archer-Ragsdale chapter began. They partnered with Luke AFB through the 944th Fighter Wing, which has historic ties to the Tuskegee Airmen. While the children learned a lot from their trip to Luke, the week-long camp is not confined to the base.
"They went to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and learned about the commercial side of flying as well," Bruce said. "They even got to go into a commercial airline's flight simulator."
Participants in the camp had a lot of information before coming to Luke, Nichols said after briefing the students.
"This was not a camp that taught kids how to develop a hobby," he said. "They learned about something that could be in their futures. I was amazed with the amount of knowledge they came here with, these students were impressive."