Washington-Warren Airport draws its share of aviation buffs, pilots and visitors. But when the visitors are young children learning about transportation, the airport becomes a classroom.

Eleven students from Care-O-World, a Washington-based learning center for children, and their adult chaperons visited the airport Thursday morning. Airport manager Aaron Berry and part-time worker Allen “Buster” Hardison took turns showing them the airport’s facilities and explaining airport functions. A video showing a V-22 Osprey flying in and out of the airport quickly drew an attentive audience. Another stop on the tour included a visit to the airport’s weather station, where the visitors looked at a computer providing information from an automated weather observing system, which provides weather information to pilots.

“Our class is talking about transportation. I’ve been teaching them air, land and sea. We actually went to see the toy trains in Belhaven. We took them on a ferry ride about two weeks ago at Bayview. This (airport visit) was the end of the study … showing them about how things go in the air,” said Teresa Clayton, the children’s teacher.

Berry kept a close eye on the young visitors, as did other adults at the airport. The children were constantly reminded “don’t touch any switches, buttons are anything else.” Just a few second warnings were needed.

“My main concern was safety,” Berry said after the visitors left the airport.

Among the aircraft viewed by the children was an EastCare air ambulance, which is stationed at the airport. Pilot Steven Brown and paramedics Eric Brown and Jason Bazelow explained the purpose of air ambulances and described the helicopter’s equipment to the visitors.

Local pilot Jack Hill displayed three aircraft to the group, two red biplanes and silver light observation airplane.

All heads turned when a small airplane taxied to a runway, then rolled down the long ribbon of pavement to gather speed before taking off.

“Ooooh!” was the nearly universal reaction of the children.