MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WHTM) – With significant turnover expected in the upcoming years for aviation, Lancaster Airport decided to hold its inaugural aviation career day.

“I’ve always wanted to fly because the sky is like another kind of ocean,” Pequea Valley student Joseph Kroh said. “Nobody’s usually up there. It’s limitless to explore. You can always look down on Earth and see the beauty of what we created.”

“There’s a big shortage of aviation professionals,” Austin Beiler, the director of operations and development for the airport, said. “We started this event to hopefully fill some of those roles.”

Beiler says impactful change is on the horizon.

“By 2025, roughly half of all pilots and mechanics will be eligible for retirement,” he said.

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That means there are a lot of jobs that will need to be filled. The good news, around 90 students from 15 different local high schools attended the career day.

The students heard from pilots, mechanics and engineers and performed activities such as flight simulations and aircraft tours.

“Every day is a new adventure,” Sarah Miller, an aviation student at Eastern Mennonite University Lancaster, said.

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“There’s a lot of excitement in the room. I was just sharing with some folks that our students are asking great questions for their future,” Manheim Township Superintendent Robin Felty said. “They really want to learn more about the options that aviation provides.”

Miller is a freshman at EMU. She’s already flying at 20 years old. She’s charting a course that these students can experience in a couple years.

“[You should] always be willing to take a risk, especially when you might think you can’t do it,” Miller said. “You might be able to do it. You probably can do it. Take that risk.”

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