Students who dreamed of manning the cockpit since childhood took their first skybound steps at Logan International Airport yesterday.
Logan and Massport provided 650 curious Massachusetts middle and high school students with the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of flight at the annual Aviation and Transportation Education Expo yesterday at the United Airlines Hangar.
“The purpose of the expo is to encourage kids at a really early age to consider careers in the aviation field,” said Massport Director of Diversity Sandra Buford. “There are two scholarship opportunities being offered here today to anyone who’s interested in learning more.”
The event featured 35 exhibits from organizations, including the Transportation Security Administration, which presides over airport security, and the Organization of Black Airline Pilots.
Students flocked to the Federal Aviation Administration and NASA booths to test their hand at the Air Traffic Control Simulator. Other popular attractions included a United Parcel Service cargo plane, a Massport Fire Rescue truck and an explosive detection truck, complete with bomb-sniffing dogs.
Massport CEO Thomas Kinton said in addition to elementary and secondary schools, the program works closely with colleges to communicate safety issues and policies to students.
“We have a complex and layered security plan in place,” Kinton said. “What we do is random and routine, some things you’ll see everyday and others you’ll see on a rare basis.”
In the past month, two false alarms at Logan have sent the airport into a frenzy.
On Sept. 21, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology student strapped a device that resembled a bomb to her sweatshirt and was detained by police who determined it was a harmless hoax. Earlier this month a traveler told security he was a member of al-Qaida planning to detonate a bomb, according to The Boston Globe.
Despite the incidents, Buford said she is confident in Logan’s safety measures.
“Safety at Logan takes a high place as a priority,” Buford said. “We have our own State Troopers for any emergencies.”
Lead Transportation Security Officer at the Department of Homeland Security Meaghan Queally said the airport security level has been raised to “orange,” which she said means passengers’ “shoes come off” at security checkpoints.
“Cellphones and laptops have always been taken out when people go through security,” Queally said. “Now we’re having to watch out for cameras and big electronics, like DVD players.”
Correspondence between the airport’s 15,000 employees is crucial to ensuring a safe environment, said Massport spokesman Richard Walsh said.
“It’s all about communication,” Walsh. “It’s a real-life application of mechanics, science, and engineering all put together to create a wider community.”
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