By Aviation Electricians Mate 1st Class Jeffrey P. Helgesen, Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit Norfolk
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Over 100 Sailor and Marine instructors from Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit (CNATTU) Norfolk and Oceana volunteered to teach students at a three-day science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) event held during the Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana air show Sept. 21-23.
For the last three years, NAS Oceana has partnered with Virginia Beach and Chesapeake schools to host the STEM event for students all around Virginia. This year’s event proved to be the largest ever with over 6,500 students in attendance. Virginia Beach and Chesapeake public school fifth graders accounted for 5,500 of the students, and another 1,000 traveled from around the state to attend.
Students interacted with hundreds of unique and interesting displays throughout the NAS Oceana airfield. CNATTU Norfolk and Oceana instructors brought everything from advanced aircraft auxiliary power units to 6,000-round-per-minute-capable machine guns with them.
Eager young minds gathered at CNATTU’s presentation tents where they, with the guidance of CNATTU instructors, learned about many complex components of naval aviation. Students were given the opportunity to try on and use flight line personal protective equipment and aircraft arresting gear, sit in ejection seats, get hands-on with gigantic Gatling guns, and witness the precise functionality of advanced aircraft radar system components.
“I already wanted be in the Navy before I came here today,” said one of the local fifth graders, who was in awe of the exhibits. “Now that I’ve seen all the cool stuff you guys have, I’m gonna join for sure.”
Many other students expressed similar sentiments and all were glad to have the opportunity to learn more about modern military aviation from the CNATTU instructors.