HOLLISTER, Mo. -- It will be a career day trip of a lifetime for a group of students in Taney County. Juniors at Hollister High School will take a one-day trip several states away to learn about the aviation industry.
When the Branson Airport decided to attend career day at Hollister High School, the students got more than just a look into careers in aviation.
"We wanted to expose the airport and what we do here to as many young people as we can," said Michele Bourk with the Branson Airport.
They also got an invitation to tour the airport.
"They actually get to learn about all the careers and everything today," said Bourk.
"People talk to us and tell us what they are doing," said Hollister Junior Brielle Caudill.
"Being here you get to see that there's a lot more thought into it and it's very complex in every aspect of it," said classmate Andy Bleil.
The real surprise came when they found out it would be a two-part field trip.
"We're coordinating for them to take a trip and actually go behind the scenes and fly on a plane this spring," said Bourk.
"A lot of my classmates haven't ever been on a plane," said Bleil.
"We thought it would be a neat opportunity for children who haven't even been on an airplane to fly," said Bourk.
"There was quite a few of them that haven't, and they're all super excited about it because they have no expenses for it and they get to go flying. Who wouldn't want to do that?" said Caudill.
"They get to go through gate check in, they get to go through the TSA security, they're going to get to experience the actual flight itself and see what it's like to actually be up in the air," said Bourk.
"We're all super excited, everyone else at our school is so mad at us because we get to go, and they just have to go and sit in class," said Caudill.
When they go on the second part of the trip this spring, they'll fly out of the Branson Airport to Atlanta, and back into the Branson Airport -- all in one day.
The trip is free for the students. It's being paid for by Airtran Airways. Bourk says they're going to be able to take about 36 students on the trip.
