SFO Aviation Day

Field Trip
Written By Christopher Simmons

June 14, 2025
SFO

 

Alaska Airlines and Boeing will host an “Aviation Day” at San Francisco International Airport on June 14.

This free event is aimed at inspiring aviation dreams in youth. It’s an amazing opportunity for a rare look behind the scenes at a major international airport, explore working planes, helicopters, and emergency vehicles, and experienc life as an aviation worker—from inspecting engines to loading cargo to helping a pilot complete a preflight checklist.

This is not a class, but if you’re working on your avaiation merit badge (or want to) this fun-filled day will give you all the answers. Merit badge counselors will even be on hand to sign you off!

We have to register for this event as a troop, so it’s important to RSVP ASAP.

Parents: we need a 1:4 adult/scout ratio, so this is a great opportunity to particpate in a troop event.

 

Experiences Offered

Pilot 
Meet Alaska Airlines pilots and help them perform an exterior preflight inspection of a Boeing 737. Learn about aerodynamics, flight controls and what makes an airplane fly. Sit in the flight deck and experience a pre-flight checklist. Discuss flight planning, crew briefings, weather, maintenance checks and aircraft systems. 

Maintenance and Engineering 
Using flashlights and mirrors, work with technicians to inspect the engine, landing gear, and wheel well area of a passenger jet. Work with a variety of tools used to by aircraft technicians and discuss current projects and the engineer’s role in it. 

Flight Attendant 
Discover the job responsibilities of a Flight Attendant. Learn about training, safety equipment on the aircraft and customer service. Help complete an interior inspection to prepare an aircraft for flight. Take part in a crew briefing and demonstrate passenger announcements. 

Ramp Services 
Discover what it is like to work on the airport ramp for Alaska Airlines. Load baggage and cargo into an airplane, and learn how to guide a plane into its parking spot.

General Aviation
A General Aviation station will feature several privately owned aircraft, from helicopters to aerobatic airplanes.

Coast Guard 
See a Coast Guard MH-65E Search and Rescue helicopter and interact with Coast Guard aircrew members. 

Mobile Command Vehicle 
Explore the SFO Mobile Command Vehicle. Learn about the tools and equipment onboard and how airport emergencies are managed. 

 
Christopher Simmons
Christopher Simmons is a Canadian-born, San Francisco–based designer, writer, design advocate and educator. He also loves hamburgers. As principal and creative director of MINE™, Simmons designs and directs brand and communication design projects for clients ranging from Facebook, Microsoft, and Simon & Schuster, to the Nature Conservancy, SFMOMA and Obama for America. His work has been exhibited internationally at galleries and museums, including the Hiroshima Museum of Contemporary Art, the Pasadena Museum of California Art and the Museum of Craft and Design; it is also included in the permanent design archives of the Denver Art Museum. In addition to writing for design publications and blogs (including two of his own), Simmons is the author of four books—the most recent of which, Just Design, focuses on design for social change. Simmons served as president of the San Francisco chapter of AIGA from 2004–2006 and founded San Francisco Design Week, prompting then-mayor Gavin Newsom to issue an official proclamation declaring San Francisco a city where “Design Makes a Difference.” Simmons was recently named one of the “50 Most influential designers working today.”
http://www.christophersimmons.is
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