A SPACE FLIGHT THAT Inspired A GENERATION OF PILOTS By David Newill Nearly all Astronauts, Cosmonauts and space flyers of other nations have one thing in common, they are pilots! Even US astronaut candidates who do not come to NASA with a pilot background are taught to fly! Spaceflight simply inspires us to get off the ground, from 1,000 feet to over 350,000 feet, flying is the thing! With 2019 being the Golden anniversary of Apollo 11 and the probable return of US based manned space flight, there is a long list of celebrations, events, movies and more in place or being planned. So how can an avid teen aviator or space program fan find out about nearby events to watch or even participate in? Of course the internet is a great starting place. Below is a listing and in some cases lists of lists, for you to use in starting your search.
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ASTRONAUTICS & AEROSPACE (AIAA) This professional engineering and science organization maintains a national list at: https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/apollo-events/ Teachers can join this professional group free! AIAA also sponsors the design-build-fly competition for college students, a great challenge of engineering and piloting skills where they must build a unique remote control aircraft to complete a complex mission. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ROCKETRY (NAR) The organization for Model Rocket flyers worldwide is featuring Project Apollo Gold: https://www.nar.org/50th-anniversary-of-apollo-11/ On Saturday, July 20th, there will be model rocket launches, Lunar spot landing, photo contests, picnics, parties and more all across the USA! Simply find the nearest local launch on their launch calendar and bring your rockets or build one there! Many will feature launching large scale models of Saturn V/Apollo in addition to more typical rockets, multi-staged, boost gliders, helicopter recovery, etc. Lots of fun going on at a launch and you usually do not have to be a club member to fly! Of course, NAR is a prime organizer behind the Team « « America Rocket Challenge (see January issue of AviNation) with this years Apollo themed contest worth $100,000 in scholarships. TRIPOLI ROCKETRY ASSOCIATION The High-Power amateur rocketry organization (and these guys and gals are very professional) launches much larger, louder and challenging hardware. Their clubs – called prefectures – can be found at http://www.tripoli.org/Prefectures. Check in with your local prefecture to see if they are hosting a special Apollo launch as well.
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