SOAR Into STEM Session 2: Communication, Navigation and Flight Simulation

By Carmelo Turdo

Wings of Hope hosted Session 2 of the SOAR Into STEM program on Saturday at their St. Louis World Headquarters hangar. This second of four sessions continued from the first by completing the flight trials with two types of gliders before progressing to the new activities shown below. Leading the program again this week was Robert Powell, Education Director for the Challenger Learning Center of St. Louis, with help from Wings of Hope Project Manager Majd Jmeian and a host of volunteer mentors. We begin our coverage with a look at the glider flights as the students experimented with wight and balance, thrust and angle of attack as they affect flight.

Presentations covering new material for Session 2 were provided by volunteer mentors. Richard Steckel, Ph.D., an experienced engineer, pilot and A&P mechanic, introduced the students to avionics - aviation electronics that include cockpit displays, radios, weather radar and similar systems found in aircraft. Used for navigation, communications and in recent years primary flight displays, avionics are designed to make flying safer and reduce the workload of the pilot or crew. Cathy Babis, a U.S. Army veteran, pilot and former air traffic controller discussed the basics of U.S. airspace categories, air traffic control procedures and communicating using the phonetic alphabet. This knowledge will have practical use as the students work on the aircraft and take flights later in the program.

Lunch break is also a time for the students and mentors to visit and discuss any topics covered in the current or previous session. Here we show more interest in the glider construction and flying qualities and how they relate to full-size aircraft. Our first group here also has quite a sense of humor!

After lunch, the students used the Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta method to form into four groups and rotate through these activities shown below: Tour of the newly refurbished Wings of Hope Navajo patient transport aircraft; Flight Simulation Lab; Navigation Exercise; and Verbal Communication Paper Airplane Project.