Daytona Beach, Fla., Sept. 1, 2006 -- This fall, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University aviation business student and celebrated aerobatic pilot Jamail Larkins kicks off his third annual national DreamLaunch Tour.
Larkins launched the tour to raise awareness about careers in aviation among young people across America. His itinerary includes visits to middle schools and high schools in at least 15 cities.
During his tour, Larkins also will talk to school administrators about the Build-A-Plane Program, which helps kids learn science, math and technology by building and repairing real airplanes that are donated to their school.
Larkins' exploits as one of the country's youngest aerobatic pilots and as a spokesman for aviation have been featured in USA Today, on NBC Nightly News and Late Night with David Letterman, plus numerous other national and regional media outlets.
Larkins, who also serves as an ambassador for aviation and space education to young people on behalf of the Federal Aviation Administration, says the DreamLaunch Tour attracts an enthusiastic response. "I've received letters and e-mails afterwards from many students who had not considered the wide- ranging career opportunities in aviation."
The Fall 2006 DreamLaunch Tour will visit schools in the following cities, with more stops to be added:
9/7 Augusta-Grovetown, Ga.
9/8 Atlanta, Ga.
9/21 Houston, Texas
9/22 Austin, Texas
10/3 Frederick, Md.
10/4 Fairfax County, Va.
10/19 Seattle, Wash.
10/20 Denver, Colo.
10/26 Huntsville, Ala.
11/2 Memphis, Tenn.
11/3 Raleigh, N.C.
11/9 Riverside, Calif.
11/10 Chicago, Ill.
11/16 Huntsville, Ala.
11/17 Bergen County, N.J.
More information on the DreamLaunch Tour can be found at www.erau.edu/dreamlaunch.The DreamLaunch Tour is sponsored by Embry-Riddle and the Commercial Airline Pilot Training (CAPT) Program.
CAPT, a division of Flight Training Services International, is a full-immersion, one-year program that trains individuals with no flight experience to the highest standards of the commercial airline industry. It uses the latest technologies to deliver airline-specific training, including flight video cameras, self-reflecting journaling, line operations safety audits, and a curriculum built on a foundation of crew concepts and crew resource management.
Embry-Riddle, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offers more than 30 degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering and meets the needs of students and industry through its educational, training, research, and consulting activities. Embry-Riddle educates more than 32,000 students annually in undergraduate and graduate programs at residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., through its Worldwide Campus at more than 130 teaching centers in the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East, and through online learning.
