Year 9 students from Forest Hall School, in Stansted, took to the skies during a visit to Stansted Airport.

Dunmow Broadcast: Forest Hall School students at an aircraft engineering workshop at Stansted Airport. Picture: FOREST HALL SCHOOLForest Hall School students at an aircraft engineering workshop at Stansted Airport. Picture: FOREST HALL SCHOOL (Image: Archant)

Engineers from Ryanair handed over the controls of a flight simulator used to train pilots to students, before demonstrating a night flight and fog conditions.

Students also took part in an engineering workshop on the workings of a plane, as well as looking at the construction and repair of an aircraft before taking part in a Q&A session.

Jonathan Moran, technology teacher, said: “Students were able to climb inside and explore an aircraft and talk to ground staff to get experience of life behind the scenes.

“They really enjoyed the experience, especially the flight simulator. They loved going down the inflatable slide and taking part in evacuation procedures during imitation emergency conditions, including inflating life jackets.”

The trip was part of the school’s PSHE programme, focusing on careers, with the aim of widening students’ horizons and exposing them to a range of career paths within engineering.