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GREENSBORO — The Air Force is set to replace close to 200 of it's refueling tanker aircraft very soon, and the Boeing company is hopeful it will be the engineers behind the aircraft.

Students from NC A&T State University got the chance to take to the skies Wednesday without even leaving campus. The Boeing flight simulator lets people experience what it's like to try to refuel an aircraft in mid-air. The simulator provided a lot of fun for the students, but that is not the only reason for it's visit to the campus.

Officials from Boeing say the stop is part of a nationwide campaign to drum up support as the company competes to win a contract with the Air Force to build new flight tankers.

"We are in a competition with Airbus in Europe. A late addition to the competition was a Ukrainian firm. But we feel that it's really going to come down between Boeing and Airbus," said Dan Beck with The Boeing Company. "And we think that we've just made a tremendous proposal that not only gives the Air Force and the war fighters the aircraft they need but it's also the best value for the American tax payers."

If the Air Force awards Boeing the contract to build the new tanker. It could mean as many as 100 jobs will be created here in North Carolina. Beck said that beyond the job opportunitities, the economic impact could potentially be in the millions of dollars for the state and the jobs would hopefully be filled by graduates from A&T State.

After experiencing what it's like to refuel a plane at thousands of feet in the air, many of the students are hopeful they can one day work for Boeing.

"It is really good. It just gives us the chance to market ourselves as students as well as get the first hand experience," said Brenden Kee, A&T Fresman.

Boeing expects the Air Force to make its choice some in November. If the contract goes to Boeing, officials said it could bring 50,000 jobs to the United States.