More Training Needed for Airplane Enthusiasts

Wooden airplanes were crashing everywhere, as the 3-5 year olds tried their budding piloting skills during a recent Parent Career Fair at Northside Preschool in Clovis. Jason Alves, SJVC’s Aviation program’s Academic Dean and Program Director, Richard Simmons, introduced potential Aviation students – Class of 2027 or so – to the thrill of flight and the eventuality of aircraft repair, with the SJVC promotional paper airplanes they gave the excited group.

During the question-and-answer part of the presentation, almost all of the 15-young students raised their hands when Mr. Alves asked how many had ever flown in an airplane. Many had traveled to Hawaii and some to the Caribbean. “The kids really wanted to know which tools in their toy toolbox were used to fix airplanes,” says Alves.

Richard Simmons talked to the preschoolers about aviation careers and aircraft mechanics and then entertained them with the deft maneuvering of three radio-controlled helicopters. “The kids loved watching the helicopters buzz around,” says Alves.

“We were not there to sign up new prospects for the college, but maybe we planted some seeds that might inspire some of these kids to seek an aviation career at SJVC in the future,” says Jason Alves, whose son, Trig, was one of the Northside preschoolers in attendance. “It’s never too early to promote the benefits of a college education.”