If your kids are fascinated by drones, planes, space, pilots or anything to do with flight (even kites!), this is a great field to consider. From passenger airlines to the military to NASA and even agriculture, careers in aerospace and aviation include all aspects of designing, building, manufacturing, maintaining and operating flight equipment. And because Kansas has such a rich heritage of flight, there’s a lot to explore here.
You’ll find a great variety of books for children and young adults about flight. From the Tuskegee Airmen to Amelia Earhart (from Atchison, Kansas!) to astronauts, you can enjoy fascinating true stories, as well as fun fiction stories, with your kids.
If your child enjoys gaming, there are lots of flight simulators with different themes like racing, time travel and fighting. Traditional toys like kites, planes and remote-controlled helicopters all provide great, hands-on play and exploration for toddlers to grown adults.
If you have even a small airport nearby, take your child out to watch planes take off and land. And many cities in Kansas have drone clubs — check them out!
We've created the Cool Careers video series to give kids an in-depth look at exciting, high-demand careers in Kansas. Watch Episode #11 to see our Cool Careers Correspondent soar into Salina where he meets Sam, a professional corporate pilot with Blue Beacon. You might need your aviator shades for this high-flying adventure!
Kansas has wonderful museums dedicated to aerospace and aviation that provide fun ways to explore this field.
