Adopt-A-Pilot^®

Each school year, students in classrooms across the country “adopt” Southwest’s Pilots, giving our passionate aviators opportunities to mentor students in and around the fifth-grade level. As part of the Adopt-A-Pilot Program, students are introduced to our F.L.I.G.H.T values and further develop life skills. Southwest is pleased to offer these opportunities at no cost to participating schools.

It's very gratifying to build the children’s confidence to believe in themselves, choose their goals, and have the tenacity to achieve their dreams. At the same time, I emphasize being kind, grateful, and honest. Real-world experience helps spark their math, science, and geography from a rote level to a correlation level of learning.

I love giving back; through listening and engaging with the children and I often gain more from them!

- Nancy Martin-Belitz, Southwest Airlines Pilot and Adopt-A-Pilot Ambassador

Since our award-winning program first launched more than 25 years ago, Southwest Pilots have visited thousands of classrooms around the country, teaching an aviation-themed curriculum and impacting the lives of more than half a million students.

Thank you for your interest in the Adopt-A-Pilot Program! Registration for the 2026–2027 program cycle is now closed. Please check back in Fall 2027 for information about future registration opportunities. We look forward to connecting with you then!

Please note: We do our best to match Pilots with interested schools. Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee that we will have an available Pilot in your community. If we cannot provide a Pilot, please feel free to use the curriculum and resources available to engage your students in STEM-centered activities and fun aviation-related lessons and videos.

If you have questions, please email the Adopt-A-Pilot Crew at Adopta.Pilot@wnco.com.

We are looking forward to another great year!