We invite the community to join us on April 11, 2024 from 5PM - 8PM to Experience the Northland Aerospace in Thief River Falls, Minnesota.

Come in and discover the high-tech programs that Northland Aerospace has to offer! Our 86,000 square foot facility features a state-of-the-art hangar, housing over 20 aircraft including a DC-9 that was owned and donated by the Detroit Pistons NBA team! This is not your typical open house event. While we will have all the information you need about how to enroll into a Northland program, this open house event is really about the Northland Aerospace Experience. Prepare to launch yourself into a typical day for a Northland Aerospace student!

Whether you are a community member who's never seen the Aerospace campus, a high school student who’s interested in learning more about Northland's technical programs, or a Northland Alumni looking to revisit the 'good old days', this event has something for everyone! Join us and experience Northland Aerospace.

Activities will include:
- Hop inside the cockpit of an aircraft.
- Roll up your sleeves and rivet joints on an aircraft.
- Dive into the world of virtual reality and fly a race drone.
- Take control of a land robot on a competition field.
- Fly a drone through the REC's Aerial Drone Competition course.
- Design and fly a paper airplane.
- Learn about basic electricity with Spintronics games.
- Build drones/airplanes with Legos.

Aerospace Workshops

Workshop A - Fundamentals of Composites (2-Hours) - Composites Lab
Advanced composites are becoming more and more common in a wide variety of industries these days. Once found primarily on military and commercial aircraft, materials like carbon fiber, Kevlar, and glass fiber can now be found on unmanned aerial systems, wind turbine blades, automobiles, trains, and a host of other products we see and use every day. We will conduct a 2-hour hands-on course designed to impart basic knowledge of composites materials and help students understand some of the industrial applications of these amazingly strong and lightweight materials. This workshop includes a lab activity - assembly of a composite part that students will get to take home.

Workshop B - Discover Northland Aerospace I - Swenson Hangar
Come on in and discover what Northland Aerospace campus has to offer. Our 86,000 square foot facility features a state-of-the-art hangar, housing over 20 aircraft including a DC-9 that was owned and donated by the Detroit Pistons NBA team! Hop inside the cockpit of an aircraft, become an AMT student through a hands-on activities, such as riveting and sheet metal. Do you think you have what it takes to be a technician for autonomous systems? We do! Dive into the world of virtual reality and test your flight skills by flying a drone through the Aerial Drone Competition course. Learn how all these activities directly tie to programs that Northland Aerospace has to offer.

Workshop C - STEAM Electrical and Automation - Classroom 28
Are you interested in electronics and automation? If so, this is the class for you! Students will be able to choose from multiple activities such as working with Arduino, programmable logic controllers, configuring networks, and learning how to operate a skillboss.

Workshop D - Discover Industrial Design - Classroom 31
How companies bring a product or vehicle to life. Do you like to be creative? Do you like problem solving? Are you interested in a job that has opportunities in your hometown and all over the world? In this intro, we look at how companies (such as Dyson, Arctic Cat, Polaris, Lamborghini, Apple and Coca Cola) use the creative process and industrial design to set themselves apart to create great products that we interact with every day. Students will be guided through the initial steps of bringing an idea to life through sketching, clay modeling, and physical model making.

Workshop E - Real Flight and Flight Simulators - Classroom 5-6
Are you ready to learn how to take off into the wild blue sky? With our variety of flight simulators, you can come get a feel for flight. Also in this class, you will learn the basics of flight, including the use of the instrument panel, how to read the instruments, takeoff and landing procedures, and other interesting rules of the air.

Workshop F - A Day in the Life of an Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) - Classroom 8
Curious what an AMT does on a typical day? Join us to see for yourself! Learn about jobs and current salaries in our area and around the United States. Learn what the expectations are of students in the Northland AMT program and in the workforce. This session will wrap up with a Q&A and an overview of how a turbine engine works, including an explanation of the differences between turbine and reciprocating aircraft engines.

Workshop G - Build a NewBee Drone (2-Hours) - Classroom 9
In this fun class, you will learn how to build, fly and disassemble a NewBee drone! NewBees are personal-sized drones that are perfect for both new flyers and experienced pilots. To learn more about NewBee drones, visit their online store here.

Workshop H - DroneTech World of Drones - Classroom 10
Experience the exciting world of Drones! Did you know that drones are no longer just used for recreation? More and more, we are finding ways that drones can be of use to us and make life easier. In DroneTech World of Drones, learn how drones in the air, on the land, and in the sea are helping our lives and the world around us. Work with your team to design a drone that will help solve a problem, meet a critical need, or expand what is possible.

Workshop I - Electronics Concepts with Spintronics - Classroom 11
Join us for the opportunity to understand electronics and computing in a whole new way. Rather than tell you what's happening in a circuit, let us show you with Spintronics. Feel the resistance, feel the pull of voltage, and watch the current flow. This hands-on activity is fun and easy and is an excellent way to learn engineering concepts!

Workshop J - Learning to Solder - Build a Bug - Classroom 12
Are you interested in soldering but don’t know how to get started? We can teach you! This hands-on lesson is made even more impactful with a soldering board that lights up to signify how much light is getting to the photosensor. With this new-found skill, you can begin the path towards careers in jewelry, electronics, air conditioning and heating, sheet metal work, and much more!

Accounting/Business – All 4 Sessions – Room 703
Accounting program provides the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare financial statements and reports for a business, including the ability to examine, analyze, interpret, and correct accounting data and records. The business world today is facing rapid changes, creating an increased demand for well-trained professionals to fill positions in all areas of the business industry. An Associate in Science degree builds a strong foundation of leadership and managerial skills to effectively manage people, organizations, and technology in the increasingly competitive global business world.

Ag/Animal Science – All 4 Sessions – Room 705/706
Agricultural Education is an opportunity to utilize your agricultural skills and talents to discover, engage and teach our future agriculturists. Agriculture Education provides the opportunity to impact lives by educating others about this vital industry and mainstay of our country. Animal Science Diploma allows students to explore the field of animal science with emphasis on livestock animals. Technological advances in the animal sciences have contributed to a safe, healthy, abundant, & inexpensive food supply.

Autobody – All 4 Sessions – Room 719
Formal training in Auto Body Collision Technology is highly desirable because advances in technology in recent years have greatly changed the structure, components, and even materials used in automobiles. This program is designed for entry level education in the Auto Body Collision Repair industry.

Automotive – All 4 Sessions – Room 721
The Automotive Service Technician is a person working in an exciting and rapidly changing industry. Students in this program will receive training in the many service and diagnostic procedures necessary to maintain our Nation on wheels. Students are trained in modern laboratories equipped with current service and testing equipment.

Criminal Justice – All 4 Sessions – Room 654/655
The Criminal Justice program prepares students for careers with city, state, federal, private, and other criminal justice agencies. While the program is designed primarily for entry-level law enforcement, many students choose courses that lead to careers in other areas of the Criminal Justice system, such as public safety communications, corrections, and probation work.

Nursing – 3 Sessions (1st, 2nd, & 3rd Session) - Room 604/631
Nursing is a growing field with multiple career opportunities. Practical Nursing is designed to provide the knowledge and skills necessary for students to enter the world of nursing. Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) may provide care for persons of all ages in a variety of settings including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, home care, hospice, camp nursing and occupational nursing. The AD Mobility Nursing program educates Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) for the role of Registered Nurse (RN). The RN role includes a broad area of human service aimed at assisting the client in attaining the highest level of health possible.

Welding – All 4 Sessions – Room 651
The Welding Process Technology diploma was designed in cooperation with regional manufacturing companies to prepare the student for a career in a welding or welding-related field. The program offers scheduling flexibility where students work at their own pace allowing motivated individuals or those with prior knowledge to complete courses faster. Students will be able to Weld either Stick or Wire Feed.

Would you like to explore exciting STEM careers? New this year to Experience Northland is our Mini Career Fair! We are pleased to welcome area companies with a variety of STEM careers available, including designing aircraft, maintaining drones, flight instruction, and much more!