On Tuesday October 16, students from North Branford High School took a field trip to Pegasus Manufacturing in Middletown. A group of 35 Engineering students made the trip and were able to tour a modern aerospace manufacturing facility and learn about the various career opportunities available today in the field of manufacturing.

The trip began with an overview of the company highlighting some of the major customers and projects they supply including Pratt & Whitney, General Electric, Rolls Royce, the Joint Strike Fighter and the Virginia class submarine. Students learned about some of the unique requirements of the aerospace industry including incredibly tight dimensional tolerances, and extensive inspections and documentation. They also learned about the in-demand jobs available in the manufacturing field such as welders, CNC machine operators, inspectors, and engineers as well as the education and training required to be employed in those positions.

Students then toured the manufacturing floor witnessing various manufacturing operations including automated tube bending, manual and automated welding, CNC and manual machining, brazing, and the manufacture and calibration of custom inspection equipment.  Tech Ed teachers Ken Rice and Chris Reynolds planned the trip and attended on this day.