2023 SOAR Into STEM Spring Session 1: Principles of Flight

 

By Carmelo Turdo

High school students from St. Louis area districts participated in the first of four spring sessions of the Wings of Hope SOAR Into STEM Program on Saturday. SOAR Into STEM provides opportunities to apply science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills in the context of the Wings of Hope humanitarian aviation mission. Topics covered include Airplane Basics, Mechanics and Engineering, Navigation and Communication and Drone/Flight Opportunities. 

The students gathered in the Wings of Hope hangar on Saturday morning to begin the introductory session covering the basics of airplane flight. The instructor for the session was Robert Powell, Education Coordinator for Wings of Hope, and he was supported by a host of volunteer mentors. We begin our coverage with the students gathered in the hangar being welcomed by Powell and receiving a hangar safety briefing from Director of Operations, Tim Long.

One objective of SOAR Into STEM is to introduce the students to the field of humanitarian aviation. The domestic and international programs sponsored by Wings of Hope were concisely illustrated in a video production shown on the newly-installed A/V system. A video conference was also arranged with Jeremy Boddington, Flight Operations Manager for Mercy Air in South Africa. Some of the students expressed their interest in humanitarian service, and Wings of Hope and Mercy Air are but two of many organizations that use aviation to improve the lives of people around the world.

The first hands-on project was to construct a foam aircraft based on a discussion of the principles of flight and basic aircraft structures. Teams of three or four students cut out and identified the control surfaces on the wings and tail and demonstrated the movement of the ailerons, flaps, elevator and rudder as if the aircraft were maneuvering in flight. These models were for demonstration only and not made for actual flight. However, some ambitious students were determined to turn their aircraft into actual gliders. They added weight, adjusted the center of gravity, moved control surfaces and even shaved off some of the foam to improve the aerodynamic properties. Their success can be seen in the views below. 

Following lunch, the student teams and volunteer mentors worked together to assemble and fly a more advanced design glider requiring careful attention to construction details and concepts such as center of gravity and weight and balance. During the flight test stage, adjustments were made in the placement of the internal weight and throwing techniques were perfected to produce progressively longer flights. A distance contest was held, with one flying nearly across the hangar.

The final hour of the session included a meeting between mentors and their small groups of assigned students. Conversation topics ranged from a review of the day's activities to general interests and career aspirations. Each session will continue these mentor meetings, and a reference web site is being prepared for the students as they explore further aviation STEM opportunities.

The Aero Experience thanks Wings of Hope and all those who contributed to the SOAR Into STEM program. We will have continuing coverage of the upcoming sessions through April.