On May 5, 2,000 students descended on Alaska’s Seattle hangar for a taste of the aviation industry. What they got was a nine-course meal.

Students tried their hand at landing a Boeing 737 in-flight simulator, built gliders with guidance from Boeing engineers, chatted up military fighter pilots, performed maintenance checks with Alaska mechanics and attended lectures with the pros to learn what it takes to pursue aviation careers.

This year marked the 10^th anniversary of Alaska Airlines Aviation Day. Rob Lowy, Alaska Airlines’ manager of maintenance programs, led a team of over 300 volunteers to ensure the milestone was celebrated in style.

“There’s so much more to this field than most people realize,” said Lowy. “Everyone thinks of pilots and flight attendants, but behind every flight there are air traffic controllers, engineers, mechanics, dispatchers… even lawyers and accountants. It’s thrilling to see this community of professionals come together to inspire the next generation of aviation leaders.”

Aviation Day was founded in 2008 by Alaska Airlines’ Captain Tom Rogers and a team of Alaska Airlines employees.  Since the inaugural event, more than 10,000 students have participated in Aviation Day in Seattle and Portland, Oregon.

Check out the action from Aviation Day’s 10^th Anniversary below!