Capt. Anthony Zerafa talks to campers, drawing from his experiences as a Compass Airlines pilot.

Capt. Anthony Zerafa (Compass) understands the importance of giving back to his profession and aviation. In addition to serving as his pilot group’s Master Executive Council chairman, he’s an assistant director for the Minnesota Aviation Career Education Camp. For the last few summers, he’s spent time talking with high school students about flying and the many exciting aerospace job opportunities available.

“Several years ago, I flew with F/O Katrina Mittelstadt who’s now with United. After a couple of trips, she called me out of the blue and asked if I’d be interested in working at a summer aviation camp,” said Zerafa. “That was in 2015. I’ve been with the group ever since, and I’m part of the planning committee for 2017.”

Cosponsored by the FAA and the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Office of Aeronautics, the weeklong program provides 10th, 11th, and 12th graders with a chance to explore careers in aviation through presentations from pilots, air traffic controllers, mechanics, and other aerospace professionals. Campers tour airline, airport, military, and other government aviation facilities and engage in a variety of hands-on projects.

The camp uses the Minneapolis–St. Paul Air Force Reserve Station supporting the 934th Airlift Wing as its base of operations. The “Global Vikings,” as they’re known, fly C-130 Hercules cargo airplanes as part of the U.S. Air Force’s Air Mobility Command. “The station is close to many of the offices and operations we visit as part of our activities,” Zerafa noted.

The E175 captain admitted that the camp’s daily agenda can be an endurance test. Last summer’s June campers visited the Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport’s control tower, toured Sun Country Airlines’ operations and hangars, spent several hours at the Minnesota Aeronautical Commission, stopped by the FAA’s automated flight service station, and visited the Minnesota Air Guard Museum—all in the same day!

“The camp may be the most physically tiring thing I’ve done in my life because each day starts at 7:00 or 7:30 in the morning and goes till 9:00 or 10:00 at night,” said Zerafa.

Another day, students ventured to nearby Stanton Airfield in Goodhue County where they took turns riding in and taking the controls of two-seat gliders with volunteers from the Stanton Sport Aviation Group. One camper commented, “I don’t know what I expected, but it was so quiet up there,” adding, “It was fun.”

Each of the students gets to fly a single-engine aircraft and ride in a helicopter. They spend time in classrooms learning about airframes and piston engines. They participate in a Department of Homeland Security dog demonstration and even fly in one of the reserve unit’s C-130s sitting in the jumpseat and donning headsets.

Over the years, many ALPA pilots have worked at the camp. And currently, several ALPA pilots volunteer, including F/O Cheri Rohlfing (Delta), who recalled, “I attended the first camp, 20-plus years ago, and have been involved ever since—first as a counselor and now as chairperson of the planning committee and director of the June camp.” Rohlfing acknowledged, “It’s extremely rewarding for me for so many reasons, from seeing the joy on students’ faces as they take their first airplane flights to seeing them achieve their lifelong goals.”

As an assistant director for the July camp, much of Zerafa’s work is administrative. He talks to parents, gets clearances to the many destinations the campers visit, and manages some of the paperwork. However, he also fills in as a counselor and talks to campers about the airline industry and what it means to be an airline pilot.

In an age in which many future aerospace workers are likely getting their first taste of aviation from game systems and flight simulator apps, the camp offers students a chance to feel what it’s like to sit in a real cockpit, take the controls of an actual aircraft, and learn firsthand what flying is really all about. “The enthusiasm of the campers really is contagious,” Zerafa said. “They can’t wait to get started each day. It reminds me why I got into this business.”