Rider Jet Center Hosted the Largest Aviation Career Expo in the Mid-Atlantic; 20th Aviation Education & Career Expo Called a Huge Success; Nov. 6, 2026 Event Attracted Students from Six States

For the past three years, Rider Jet Center, a full-service Fixed Base Operator (FBO), has hosted the event — turning part of a hangar into an auditorium for presentations for the group, and vendor booths for one-on-one consultations. With about 65 vendors, organizers say it's the largest event of its kind in the mid-Atlantic.

"Rider Jet Center is very proud to host the annual Aviation Career Expo," said President and CEO Ben Rider. "I am personally pleased that we are giving young people exposure to aviation-related careers, while also helping students financially to reach their educational goals."

This year's theme was "Dreams with Wings." Some want to be pilots. Some want to be engineers. Some want to be technicians and others are interested in drones. Several sponsors provided just under $300,000 in scholarships to help those dreams take flight.

Students heard from aviation professionals and a former scholarship winner, Brinnay Nickola, who began her journey because of scholarships from the expo.

Lizzy Mosley came from Loudoun County in Northern Virginia to take advantage of all things aviation.

"I've always really been into aviation," she said, "and I want to be a pilot when I'm older, so I actually applied for a couple of scholarships here as well, just to try and kickstart my future."

Local resident Christa Whittington attended with her son, who plans to attend the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (PIA) School for Aviation Maintenance at its Hagerstown campus.

"I'm here today because this is a wonderful community event. It's really impactful to our local area and so many great national vendors as well as regional vendors here to influence the next generation," she said.

For students interested in drones, the Unmanned Safety Institute was ready to help, with training and scholarships. The institute offered two scholarships this year: both $4,500, one for a remote operator pathway scholarship and the other for a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) maintenance technician scholarship.

"This is our sixth year exhibiting at the Aviation Expo," said the institute's Michelle Dina. "We absolutely love this event because it gives us a chance to connect with the students and to explore all the opportunities that are available in aviation."

"If there's a use for an aircraft, there's probably a use for a drone now in that industry," added the institute's Program Director John Easter. "Every industry has some type of application, whether it's inspection work, surveying, public safety, photography, videography, things like that."

Recruiting a new generation of professionals

Students weren't the only ones looking for possibilities during the expo. Representatives from Chantilly Air Jet Center hoped to attract employees and interns in several areas.

"We always like to get our name out there and certainly want to be the premium place for pilots, mechanics, line service technicians, customer service reps, accounting professionals, and scheduler/dispatchers," said Chantilly's Melissa Woody.

Collin King represented both his employer, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), and the Greater Washington Business Aviation Association (GWBAA), on whose board he serves.

"Right now, our industry has a major pilot shortage and a maintenance technician shortage. A lot of students tend to go to the commercial side, and we are here to try and hopefully convince them to explore business aviation," King said. "NBAA has an outstanding military program that we just started, where we help military veterans transition to our industry."

Kevin Honan, product development director for Nimble — an aviation safety management consultant — represented client and expo sponsor Paragon Aviation Group.

"It's not just being a pilot or a flight attendant. There are so many other options. It's a very exciting, upcoming industry," he said. "I thought it would be much smaller, so it's very exciting to see so many students here."

The expo also drew local elected officials, who relished the attention the expo drew to Rider Jet Center and the Hagerstown Regional Airport.

"Rider Jet Center is a premier organization in our community. They represent the Hagerstown Regional Airport and Washington County extremely well, and this is just another example," said Washington County Commissioners President John Barr, who attended the opening exercises.

"With more than 1,000 students participating and more than a quarter-million dollars in scholarships awarded, the event continues to show that Hagerstown Washington County Regional Airport is a shining star in our community," added Washington County Commissioners Vice President Jeff Cline.

"This year's expo was one of the best ever," said expo co-founder Julie O'Brien. "We are all proud to recognize the vision and the importance of encouraging the next generation of aviators. To everyone helping young people explore a future in aviation: Thank you! Supporting their curiosity and ambition is an investment in our industry's future."

About Rider Jet Center
Rider Jet Center is a full-service Fixed Base Operator at Hagerstown Regional Airport, known for its customer-first approach, premium amenities and on-site jet and propeller maintenance. Serving both civilian and military clients, it offers seamless aviation support with a focus on hospitality, efficiency, and operational excellence. Rider Jet Center was awarded the Top FBO in the United States for overall service by Aerospace and Defense Review.

See: www.riderjetcenter.com.

SOURCE Rider Jet Center