SIDNEY -- The air was cool but the breakfast was hot as WNCC Aviation Maintenance students welcomed pilots and the public to the Sidney airport this morning.

The fly-in welcomes pilots, introduces the community to programs available at WNCC and is a fundraiser for the Voc-Air Flying Club student organization.

Nathan Dankers talked about how his experience at WNCC launched his career.

"I graduated from WNCC in May of 2023. It was a really good option, and a really good decision to come out to WNCC," Dankers said.

He said there are a lot of aircraft mechanic schools that are focused on graduating airline mechanics, schools that don't address smaller aircraft. He chose WNCC because it fits his goals.

"I want to stay pretty much general aviation my who career. It would haven't been as quality an education. The really nice thing about WNCC is they are geared for General Aviation. They have always kind of emphasized reciprocating engines and emphasized kind of the smaller airplanes of aviation fleet. For me, it was a really good option," he said. 

Instructor Joe Julius has a similar story. He, too, entered the program as a student.

"I came here right out of high school. I was a student here for two years, graduated, worked in the industry around here; worked at Sidney airport working on airplanes, worked up at Kimball working on aircraft. I've been around here farming. I came back here and started teaching about four years ago, three years ago," Julius said.