2023 SOAR Into STEM Spring Session 3: Navigation and Communication

By Carmelo Turdo

SOAR Into STEM Spring Session 3 was held at Wings of Hope on Saturday. This week's theme was Navigation and Communication. Students learned about the Wings of Hope MAT Program, completed a flight planning exercise, flew desktop flight simulators and role-played through an air traffic control exercise. The session was led by Wings of Hope Education Coordinator, Robert Powell, with help from volunteer mentors.

The opening discussion focused on the application of Navigation and Communication in aviation, and the remainder of the session provided opportunities for students to practice these skills. Key terms were discussed, and the phonetic alphabet was also introduced. Spelling even simple words with the phonetic alphabet can be a challenging and sometimes comical experience. 

The importance of careful pre-flight planning and teamwork among flight crew and support staff was illustrated through a briefing on the Wings of Hope MAT Program given by Flight Operations Manager, RaShonda Clark. The U.S. Medical Relief and Air Transport Program provides air transport services for ambulatory patients requiring a series of medical treatments at facilities within 800 miles of St. Louis. Clark described the process from referral through the patient's regiment of treatment, sometimes involving many flights over several years. The service is made possible without charge to patients and their families thanks to generous support from donors and through fundraising events like the upcoming Gala.

One way to observe the importance of verbal communication is to describe even a simple process, such as folding a paper airplane, to another person who does not have the benefit of observing the procedure as they hear the directions. The students paired up and tried their best to clearly communicate the steps to complete the paper airplane to a partner, with varying degrees of success. 

Another activity during the session was a navigation exercise that involved plotting a course using scale maps. An MAT flight scenario was proposed, and the students prepared a planning worksheet containing direction, distance and flight time to various destinations. The SOAR Into STEM mentors were available to assist in the process.

The students also tried their skills at the desktop flight simulator station. Many types of aircraft, from the Piper Cub to the F-35, were flown using the knowledge gained from the previous sessions on the forces of flight, cockpit controls and aircraft structures.

A new activity was added for this session - an Air Traffic Control exercise using a large airport diagram laid out on the hangar floor. The students took turns playing the parts of aircraft and air traffic control communicating during operations around the airport in a scripted scenario. The aircraft were represented by RC Spheros as they landed, taxied and took off from the airport. Some of the students representing the aircraft also walked through the scenario to get another perspective on the air and ground control procedures.

Session 4 of SOAR Into STEM will focus on uncrewed aerial vehicles, or drones, and their role in humanitarian aviation services around the world.