Aspiring A & P Technicians assemble PT6 engine puzzle at EAA’s KidVenture.

P&WC will be reaching out to youth attending this year’s Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture convention by supporting two events designed to grow children’s interest in aviation.

The KidVenture campus is an area at the convention where a variety of companies, from flight-simulator manufacturers to aircraft makers, set up special displays and interactive exhibits for kids. The activities are meant to allow young people to explore aviation from several different vantage points.

“We will have a KidVenture booth staffed by two employees throughout the event,” says Bob Milonja, Senior Coordinator, Marketing Shows & Exhibits, who manages P&WC’s booth and show activities. “We’ll have a PT6 engine on display equipped with a borescope [a device used to examine the parts inside an engine without dismantling it], and we’ll show the kids what the inside of an engine looks like. We’ll also show them some typical repair tasks that a technician would perform in the course of engine maintenance.”

Always popular at KidVenture is the company’s large “engine puzzle,” a hands-on exercise that allows children to examine a life-size cutaway of a PT6 engine and then work together to put the various puzzle pieces together and assemble the engine.

“It’s the only show we attend all year that features a youth component,” says Bob. “It’s a great experience because the kids are so enthusiastic. Afterwards, we have parents coming up to us thanking us for making the effort to teach their children. As the kids are leaving, we give them a P&WC A & P (airframe and powerplant) certificate attesting to their work.”

P&WC also sponsors events associated with the EAA Young Eagles Program. This program provides youths aged eight to 17 with airplane rides within their local community to generate an interest in aviation and possibly pursuing a pilot’s licence. The flights are provided free of charge by EAA members who volunteer their time and aircraft. Through the program, the EAA also offers scholarships and internships.

“In many ways, AirVenture is about the future of aviation, and the EAA underlines this by focusing on youth and the next generation of pilots and other aviation professionals,” says Luc Landry, Senior Manager, Business Development, Next-Generation General Aviation Products. “As a company, P&WC has a view to what’s new today and what’s possible in the future, so we do what we can to help the EAA stimulate the next crop of general aviators and the people who will support them.”