Hey kids! Discover a career in aerospace

Here in Oklahoma, the aerospace industry is one of the largest and fastest growing. When you look in the sky, you will likely see an airplane carrying hundreds of people. Some of those planes may belong to American Airlines. You could one day work on those American Airlines planes right here in Oklahoma!

You know the scientific method you are learning in school? The people who work at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute put that method to work every day as they research how to make flying safer. The institute is filled with people who are curious – and they are located right here in Oklahoma. Maybe your future in aerospace is at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute.

What if I told you that you could one day help support the brave men and women in our military? That’s exactly what the people working at Kratos get to do every day right here in Oklahoma. Kratos makes jet fighters that mimic enemy threats and also the Valkyrie, an unmanned vehicle designed to act as a loyal wingman to military aircraft.

If you’ve ever taken a trip on a plane, did you think about all the people who worked on that plane to make sure it flew safely? Some of those workers are called aircraft structural technicians, and they were trained right here in Oklahoma at Mid-Del Technology Center.

Did you know pilots aren’t the only ones who help keep aircraft up in the air? Many people work behind the scenes to repair turbine engines. Some of them work at a company called Mint Turbines, located right here in Oklahoma.

Have you ever thought about what career you would like to have when you grow up? Nordam is one of the world’s largest independently owned aerospace companies – and its headquarters are right here in Oklahoma. Aerospace is one of Oklahoma’s largest industries and will have thousands of jobs waiting for you when you’re ready to enter the workforce.

While you are in school, you can be part of the StellarXplorers National Space Design competition. It was created by the Air Force Association to inspire kids from kindergarten through 12th grade to consider careers in aviation and aerospace. These industries are critical to our nation’s future and are becoming big business right here in Oklahoma.

Did you know one of the largest and most important military installations in the nation is located in Oklahoma? It’s called Tinker Air Force Base, and it has all kinds of really cool jobs that will be available when you are ready to start your own career.

Have you thought about the people who help keep airplanes in the sky? The students at Tulsa Tech are getting a head start on this exciting career with the aerospace programs available to them. You could one day work on jets that help your loved ones fly to their destinations safely.

Charles Lindbergh’s flight from New York to Paris in May 1927 -- the first solo crossing of the Atlantic by air -- instantly elevated him from obscure mail pilot to international hero. Fresh from his nonstop flight, Lindbergh arrived in Tulsa on a national tour, galvanizing interest in aviation across the state.

Ever play with a toy plane, making sounds like “swoosh” and “zoom?” Perhaps you were meant to be a pilot. CareerTech training gives students interested in an aviation career an advantage as they pursue training opportunities beyond CareerTech.

Marcus Hartman turned his hobby of flying remote-controlled airplanes into a career test-flying drones at the Choctaw Nation Emerging Aviation Technology Test Center, a 44,000-acre site in southeast Oklahoma dedicated to the testing of unmanned aerial systems, better known as drones.

MRO stands for maintenance, repair and overhaul. There are MRO facilities all over the world that specialize in repairing and maintaining aircraft of all types. If you like to take things apart and put them back together again, perhaps a job at an MRO facility is right for you.

FBO stands for fixed-base operator. An FBO is a company that provides services in general aviation or for private and recreational flying at an airport. They are typically found at public airports but can sometimes be found at a property near the airport.

Drones are sometime referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). They are robot-like aircraft that operate without a pilot on board. These remote-controlled flying robots can be used for a wide range of military and civilian purposes, including photography, firefighting, search and rescue, agriculture and intelligence gathering.