PARKSIDE School students took a trip to the airport but stayed on the ground during their latest educational visit.

The year 10 pupils from the Cullingworth school toured Craven College’s Aviation Academy which is located airside at Leeds Bradford International Airport.

They heard about the world of opportunities in the aviation industry, whether they were interested in being a pilot, air traffic controller, dispatcher, cabin crew, ground crew or airline agent.

There are 2,350 jobs at the airport alone and more than four million passengers a year.

The Academy offer courses ranging from Level 2 to BSc (Hons) degrees. There is also scope for students to study and work abroad with aviation and travel partners around the world.

Parkside science teacher Caroline Handley said: “The pupils were engaged in a range of experiences including tour of the campus, speaking to students, taking part in a typical lesson, and calculating aircraft weight calculations for loading, take-off and landing.”

“There was also a mock-up of the inside of an aircraft where Courtney Stone and Caitlyn Hanley got to practise their safety demonstration to the rest of the group!”