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Bridgeport Today
By the People, for the People
Pierpont College Hosts Aviation Tech Workshops for Students
Middle schoolers get hands-on experience with aircraft maintenance and flight simulation.
Published on Feb. 28, 2026
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Pierpont Community and Technical College's Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Education Center in Bridgeport, West Virginia is hosting weekly aviation technology workshops for middle school students from across north central West Virginia. The workshops, which run every Friday until May 1, give students the chance to learn about aircraft maintenance, build model planes, and experience flight simulations.
Why it matters
The workshops aim to inspire the next generation of aviation professionals and address the high demand for technicians in the region's growing aviation industry. North central West Virginia is home to multiple large aviation maintenance providers, making these hands-on learning opportunities crucial for developing the local talent pipeline.
The details
During the workshops, students from schools like Fairmont Catholic and Fairview Middle have the chance to try their hand at tasks like drilling sheet metal and building small aircraft models. They also get to tour real planes and jump into flight simulators. The workshops are funded by a grant from the state.
- The workshops run every Friday until May 1, 2026.
- The first workshop was held on February 28, 2026.
The players
Pierpont Community and Technical College
A public community college in West Virginia that is hosting the aviation technology workshops at its Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Education Center in Bridgeport.
Dr. Brad Gilbert
The Director of the National Aviation Education Center at Pierpont Community and Technical College.
Chuck Peters
An aviation instructor at Pierpont Community and Technical College who is leading the workshops.
What they’re saying
“We've got a number of large aviation maintenance providers and they're all very hungry for technicians. We're trying to service that demand.”
— Dr. Brad Gilbert, Director of the National Aviation Education Center (wboy.com)
“We encourage them and let them know what's around here and hopefully they can become students of ours one day. We've been seeing that the last few years since we've been doing these workshops.”
— Chuck Peters, Aviation Instructor (wboy.com)
What’s next
The workshops will continue every Friday until May 1, 2026, giving more middle school students the chance to explore aviation technology.
The takeaway
By providing hands-on learning opportunities in aviation maintenance and flight simulation, Pierpont Community and Technical College is working to build a pipeline of future talent for the growing aviation industry in north central West Virginia.
