02/12/2026
Mahalo e ka DOE no kēia moʻolelo a mahalo hoʻi iā Hawaiian Airlines no ka hoʻokipa ʻana i ka papa alakaʻi!
Thank you to the DOE for this story and thank you to Hawaiian Airlines for hosting the senior class!
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📷 Ho’oha’aheo Photo of the Week: Ke Kula Kaiapuni ʻO Ānuenue senior ʻAlohi Alapai got a turn in the pilot’s seat of a Boeing 717-200 flight simulator at the Hawaiian Airlines headquarters on Feb. 10. Fellow senior Kahiau Stoner, left, took video of the experience as former Ānuenue student and current Hawaiian Airlines pilot Wailani Wong guided Alapai through the different controls in the cockpit. The visit was part of an Aviation ʻIke hosted by Hawaiian Airlines to introduce students to the various career opportunities in aviation.
“It was super amazing, I loved it,” said Alapai, who is considering becoming a pilot. “It was all animated and it was kind of cool to see my home animated. It was very fun because the instructors were very open and encouraging.”
Throughout the day, students got a behind-the-scenes look at how the airline operates. They toured the cargo area, tried out the flight simulator, checked out the in-flight mock-up room, and learned about safety drills—all guided by Hawaiian Airlines employees who led the entire experience in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.
Credit: Kimberly Yuen / HIDOE Communications Branch