Ranken Technical College Hosts Aviation Technology Summer Adventure Academy for Area Middle School Students

By Carmelo Turdo

Ranken Technical College held the annual Aviation Technology Summer Adventure Academy last week at their St. Louis campus. Sixteen middle school-age students attended the daily sessions, which included a mix of classroom modules, guest speakers, outdoor activities and field trips to local aviation industry facilities. Parental support was key to the success of the Academy, ensuring that the students were available on time each day and released to attend off-campus activities. Local aviation organizations provided study materials and welcomed the students during their visits. All along the way, Ranken Technical College provided the resources needed to ensure that everyone had a fun and rewarding experience. 

Instructors:  

Cathy Babis: Retired Department of Defense Aviation chart maker, 10 years Air Traffic Control, former Chief flight Instructor of two flight schools.

Carmelo Turdo: Founder of The Aero Experience Aviation Media, aviation writer and video producer, youth program educator and event coordinator. 

Aviation Technology – Students are introduced to all things aviation, from learning how planes and rockets fly to preparing for careers in the aviation and aerospace fields.  Scheduled activities include a visit to a modern aircraft maintenance facility, glider and drone flying, water rocket launch, flight simulator training and an actual aircraft flight. Students will be equipped to develop their interest in aviation through referrals to local and national organizations that provide additional aviation STEM opportunities.

Monday morning featured two well-respected guest speakers to open the week on an inspirational note. John Almind, USAF Colonel (Ret.), introduced the students to the Air Mobility Command mission of transporting people, cargo and fuel around the world. An Air Force Academy graduate, former tanker pilot and squadron commander, Colonel Almind shared his story of working hard through early challenges to achieve his aviation career goals.

Yolandea Wood, USAF Major (Ret.), brought her message of encouragement to the students using her career as a U.S. Air Force navigator and the achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen as examples of how hard work and high standards of performance are essential to achieving one's goals. She also led an interactive exercise illustrating the basics of aerial navigation from point to point in the classroom.

 

  

The afternoon session included a Fundamentals of Flight class and balsa plane flying contest.

Tuesday was an active day outside of the classroom. In the morning, the students went on a field trip to the Gateway STEM High School Aviation department. The large hangar facility adjacent to the school included a number of aircraft used for instructional purposes in the airframe program curriculum. The students could now see full-scale examples of the control surfaces, propellers and cockpit instruments that were introduced in the classroom environment. They were invited to get their pictures taken in the cockpit of the Beech Queen Air twin turboprop aircraft and climb into the fire truck and ambulance used in the St. Louis Public Schools Training Academy located in the same facility.

 

The afternoon session focused on rocketry, with a classroom introduction to Newton's Third Law of Motion and the launching of water/air fueled "rockets" in the field outside. Two-liter bottles were filled with approximately ten percent of water by volume with the rest of the bottle pumped to 80psi of air. When the bottle lock was released, the launches were in the 50-100 feet level (estimated). Some of the young ladies took the initiative to become the A-Team Pit Crew loading the rockets between launches. (Photos provided by Cathy Babis).

Wednesday morning began with a review of aircraft wing designs and the construction of paper airplanes of various shapes. Of particular interest was one by John Collins, world record- holding paper airplane designer, as featured in this video screen shot below. The students flew the classic dart and a broad-winged model similar to the record-breaking Suzanne. 

The Afternoon session moved to the Mary Ann Lee Technology Center where the students met with Gary Chambers, the Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles instructor. After an introduction to the world of uncrewed flight, including the regulations governing their operation and the practical uses of "drones" of all sizes, the students were able to test their skills operating Blade Inductrix Micro Drones. 

Following a day of class work on Thursday focusing on air traffic control procedures, phonetic alphabet, airport signs and markings, cockpit instruments and aeronautical chart reading, the students went on a field trip to Creve Coeur Airport on Friday. The day at the airport included a series of activities that brought theory to life. The students took Young Eagle Flights in general aviation aircraft courtesy of EAA Chapter 32, EAA Chapter 64 and AeroCareers. The Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation (GYAF) provided virtual reality flight simulators, along with an Elite RC-1 instrument training flight simulator staffed with an instructor from Gateway Flight Training, for the students to be "Top Gun" for a day. The GYAF also had their F-4 Phantom II jet fighter cockpit and the Dream Big Top Gun Maverick Super Hornet cockpit on display outside of their hangar. The students also enjoyed visiting Piston Aviation, a flight school at the airport, where they tried on the Piper Cherokee and Bristell LSA aircraft on for size. Some of the parents and siblings accompanied the students during their visit to the airport, and they also were invited to participate in the day's activities. 

The Aero Experience thanks Ranken Technical College and the contributors mentioned above for making the 2022 Aviation Technology Summer Adventure Academy week possible. It was our pleasure to mentor these students, and we look forward to making a contribution to next year's program.