May 29—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — A conference and trade show this week at John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport explores opportunities to address the national shortage of professional pilots and aviation maintenance technicians.

The Aerium Summit, scheduled for Tuesday through Thursday, features government, education and industry leaders with breakout sessions, including aviation education programs for the elementary through post-secondary levels.

"The whole theme of Aerium is about education pathways through aviation," said Larry Nulton, chairman of the nonprofit Aerium, which organized the summit.

General sessions, breakout sessions and special programs will feature information for high school, elementary school and college teachers and administrators, as well as potential students interested in careers in aviation, Nulton said.

Aerium supporters — including the Johnstown-Cambria County Airport Authority, Nulton Aviation Services, St. Francis University and several elected officials — earlier this year submitted an aviation curriculum that was accepted by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The course of study is defined in the department's new Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) codes.

"The CIP codes were big," Nulton said. "Apparently, they've been trying to get them approved for 20 years. Those codes, really, will be the start of it all. ... Schools can introduce some form of that into the high school education, either as an elective or a full-blown course of study."

Programs can include pilot training, through which graduates would obtain their pilot licenses.

From there, graduates could go on to advanced education at colleges such as St. Francis, which has introduced an aviation program and is preparing to launch an aviation maintenance course of study.

The summit program begins Tuesday with registration, exhibitor move-in beginning at noon, and an evening networking reception from 5 to 7 p.m. in Nulton Aviation Services' lower hangar, 469 Airport Road.

Wednesday and Thursday will include general sessions with government and industry leaders and breakout sessions for both education and industry events.

General sessions are scheduled for 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. Thursday in the Nulton upper hangar.

The education-related sessions include opportunities for both students and adults.

An immersive lab and exhibit area will operate from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days, featuring hands-on activity with aircraft, simulators and other areas of aviation. Exhibitors are bringing a wide variety of aircraft, airport Manager Cory Cree said.

Student classroom activities will be held at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the airport conference room inside the terminal, 479 Airport Road.

Some of the classroom events will simulate actual lessons that could be included in a school's curriculum. Others will provide specific information and hands-on opportunities.

Wednesday's education sessions will include the elementary/middle school session at 11 a.m., the high school session at 1 p.m. and the post-secondary session at 2:30 p.m.

Thursday's schedule includes industry employee development at 11 a.m. and education beyond the classroom at 1 p.m.

All of the education sessions will be held in the Flair of Country banquet room inside the terminal.

Industry sessions will include:

—Aviation Workforce Opportunities at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Speakers include executives Brett Bormann from Navmar Applied Sciences Corp. and officials from Compass Systems Inc. and SkyWest Airlines.

—Next Generation Aviation at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, featuring information about drones and other unmanned aviation vehicles. Speakers include drone technology experts, along with Cambria County Deputy Director of Emergency Services Art Martynuska and county Geographic Information Systems Director Steve Kocsis.

—The Community Effect on the Aviation Ecosystem at 11 a.m. Thursday. Speakers include U.S. Rep. John Joyce, R-Blair; state Sen. Wayne Langerholc, R-Richland Township; state Rep. Jim Rigby, R-Ferndale; and Cambria County President Commissioner Thomas Chernisky.

—Future of Aviation in the Southern Alleghenies at 1 p.m. Thursday. Speakers include representatives of Nulton Aviation Services, Nulton Aviation Flight Academy, SkyWest Airlines and St. Francis University.

All of the industry sessions will be held in Nulton's upper hangar.

There will be no parking at the airport for those attending the summit, Cree said.

"We still want to make sure we provide the normal services for our SkyWest passengers," he said. "Event parking is going to be offsite with free shuttle service by McIlwain Charters."

Tuesday's parkers will be directed to the Army National Guard lot along Airport Road.

Parking Wednesday will include the National Guard lot, along with lots at Lowe's and the Solomon Run fire hall.

Thursday's parking will be at the Lowe's and Solomon Run locations.

Along with the Aerium Summit, the Johnstown airport will host the Commemorative Air Force's AirPower History Tour on Tuesday and Wednesday. The tour, with vintage World War II aircraft, features cockpit tours and the opportunity to ride in the historic aircraft.

More information is available online at aerium.org.