More than 700 students made their way out to Craig Airfield on Friday for the largest Aviation Day program Wallace Community College Selma has ever put on.

The fifth annual event brought students from Dallas County, Wilcox County, Lowndes County and Autauga County to hear from seasoned pilots as well as ones just starting their career.

Jackie Smith, dean of business and finance at Wallace Community College Selma and co-chair of Aviation Day, said it was great to have so many students there to hear about what aviation has to offer.

“We started this event … to bring awareness to aviation in this area,” Smith said. “We’re just super excited to have everyone here.”

The Black Pilots of America were on hand to speak and to show off some planes for the students.

“What we’re most proud of, is in the first four years, we had three students who actually gained an interest from coming to this program, and they are now pilots,” Smith said. “The Black Pilots of America take them to their Summer Flight Academy in Houston, Texas every summer, and they are trained and now they’re solo.”

Lakarian Pettway, an 11th grader at Wilcox Central High School, attended the academy this past summer.

“Attending the flight academy was one of the best opportunities I’ve been offered, and it has been by far the most exciting experience I’ve encountered in my life. I am so grateful for being chosen out of many students to attend,” Pettway said.

“I did face many challenges, before, during and after attending. Yet I made it. I was the only person out of 12 people to solo at the academy in 2016.”

After graduation, Pettway said she plans to join the Air Force Reserves and then go to college for dentistry.

Pettway said she was inspired by previous Aviation Days and her friend, Shamya Mason, who attended the academy a year prior.