Aviation View | Volume 2, Issue 3

78 AVIATION VIEW VOLUME 2, ISSUE 3 aeronautical businesses here that engage with the community,” adds Wright. “Schools will call us for tours, and we can accommodate kindergarten to high school visitors. It is great to get the wheels turning in those young minds and impress them early. Some of our tour activities available include helping the young students preflight an airplane, learning the different aspects of flight and how airplanes work. We also showcase heavy equipment operations and ARFF services through our ARFF and SRE equipment.” BRD also hosts several based aeronautical businesses and civic services at the airfield, hiring approximately 90 employees. Included in the base businesses are Brainerd Helicopter, which supports aerial forest fire watch, medical helicopters with flight paramedics, and forest fire fighting, and other law enforcement agencies. Another business tenant at the airport is A.W. Research Labs, an independent, certified water testing laboratory. While most companies in the airport are aeronautical, A.W. Research Labs years, our focus is on the airport’s economic development,” shares Wright. “As the Brainerd Lakes Region grows, we want the airport to grow as well due to an increased need of aeronautical facilities, hangars, and businesses.” Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport has deep ties to the community, one of which is through its direct involvement in promoting aviation careers. NorthPoint Aviation (NorthPoint) runs several programs with Brainerd High School to expose students to the various jobs and careers at the airport. “NorthPoint’s flight instructors teach a ground school course for high school students yearly,” says Wright. “Through the course, high schoolers go through ground school and can integrate their coursework into actual flight instruction at NorthPoint.” NorthPoint is also willing to expose high school kids to mechanics and avionics, offering an apprenticeship-type program where they learn alongside certified mechanics at the NorthPoint Aviation Facility. “We have many civic-minded