Assembly encourages kids to fly
Greg "G-Man" Dellinger wants to get kids excited about careers in aviation.
The director of government affairs with AAR Corp. in Wood Dale, he spoke last week to fourth-graders at Westfield Elementary in Wood Dale.
"Part of our outreach is to engage young people across the United States to think about careers in aviation," Dellinger said.
He wants to encourage youngsters to consider being pilots or airline mechanics, or possibly even go into space travel.
"This age is the tipping point," Dellinger said.
Dellenger says that during the next 20 years the world will require 558,000 new pilots and 609,000 new aircraft mechanics. Pilots are required to retire at age 65 and skilled workers across the nation are needed in the aviation industry.
Education that emphasizes STEM, or science, technology, engineering and mathematics, will be crucial for students entering these an other careers, he said.
His appearance at the school was part of National Aerospace Week.