Two dozen kids in matching purple Boys and Girls Club t-shirts crane their necks to get a glimpse of the blue Breeze Airways jet as they reached the gate. They chatter excitedly before streaming down the jet bridge and onto the plane.
Once they settle into their seats, they get the customary safety briefing, with a little extra encouragement from their chaperones.
"Get your seatbelts on," one calls down the aisle as the click of buckles pop around the cabin.
The snack cart is a big hit, as are the overhead air blowers.
Just about the only thing the plane full of first-time passengers doesn’t do is take off. But that’s just fine with 12-year-old Treasure Whitaker.
“I feel like I’d be scared if I’m like…up in the air," she said.
After their simulated flight, the kids hear from Hampton University and the Aviation Institute of Maintenance about the work that keeps planes coming and going.
Charlie Braden from Norfolk International Airport says there are a lot more jobs than just pilot or flight attendant.
“There really is something that can fit just about anyone, so we want to open their eyes to what those opportunities are," Braden said.
That may seem a long way off for kids like Treasure, but some of Tuesday's visitors were Norfolk teens as old as 17.
