Stafford Regional Airport held an Aviation Careers Expo of Stafford (ACES) Day on November 1 to inspire and empower students to pursue aviation careers.

Approximately 160 fifth grade students learned from a variety of exhibitors, including the Virginia Department of Aviation’s ICON A5 Introduction to Flight team. Also presenting at the event was the Langley Flight Foundation, STEM Flights, Virginia State Police, Germanna Welding, NASA, the US Air Force Academy and Air Force ROTC, United Airlines Maintenance, Chemung Contracting and Cedar Mountain Stone, Germanna Robotics and Drones, Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Mistral UAS, Spydar UAS, King George Radio Club, Stafford Sheriff’s Office, FAA General information and ATC simulator, Aviation Adventures Flight School and ACE Flight Solutions.

The event was held in collaboration with Stafford County Public Schools, which intends to offer educational pathways leading to various careers, among which are aviation related fields of study. The purpose of this event was to expose fifth grade students to fields of study within aviation. These fields include piloting, maintenance, UAS operations that support geospatial analysis and other applications, avionics, and careers in public service such as law enforcement, military service and the Federal Aviation Administration.