East Bay 5th graders get inspiring glimpse into aviation through Southwest

OAKLAND, Calif. - A group of East Bay fifth graders took a special field trip to the Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport to experience a hands-on, educational tour of the diverse career opportunities available in the aviation industry.

The backstory:

The event was made possible through Southwest Airlines' "Adopt a Pilot" program, an initiative dedicated to bringing science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), geography, and goal planning to classrooms nationwide. While the educational program originally launched in 1997, this specific group of students was the very first to participate in an in-person airport tour since the pandemic.

Kids play pilot by sitting in the flight deck 

How It Works:

Field Parsons, a pilot with Southwest, was "adopted" by St. John Catholic School in San Lorenzo and St. Bede Catholic School in Hayward, and had visited their schools. On Wednesday morning, he welcomed approximately 40 students, teachers, and chaperones onboard his aircraft, giving some their very first glimpse inside an airplane. The students were also invited into the cockpit to see the controls firsthand.

"We visit fifth-grade classrooms all across the country to teach them about science, technology, engineering, math, geography, goal planning, everything it takes to be successful not only in aviation but also in life," Parsons said. "It’s an absolute privilege to come out here and share what I love with the next generation."

The extensive tour also featured a visit to the airport fire station, a safety demonstration by flight attendants detailing water-landing procedures, and a K-9 presentation by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.

More pilots needed worldwide

For parents like Catalina Mendoza, whose son attends St. Bede, the experience opened up rare possibilities for the children. "Not everybody gets to get on a plane in their lifetime. I didn’t until I was about 20 years old for the first time," Mendoza said. "I hope we have a future pilot on our hands."

Big picture view:

The exposure comes at a critical time for the aviation industry, which faces a global pilot shortage due to an aging workforce reaching retirement. Southwest Airlines pilot Wendy Hales Mora shared her own journey to encourage the children to look past skepticism.

"I had a really big dream of being a pilot one day. I was told in high school that I needed to pick a realistic career, because nobody knew how to tell me how to be a pilot, and I did it," Mora said. She emphasized that the program is designed to inspire a variety of career tracks beyond flying. "It could be anybody from the people programming our computers, to figuring out what kind of snacks we’re going to serve, to designing the interior of our airplanes."

What you can do:

The "Adopt a Pilot" program operates annually. Educators interested in bringing the program and a pilot into their own classrooms can find more information on Southwest Airlines' website.