AviNation Magazine July 2018

JULY

AT TR ACT, EDUCATE & EMPOWER YOUTH IN AVIATION

INSIDE Young Aviators Fly-In @ Triple Tree Aerodrome Iowa State University’s Cyclone Aero Design AOPA’s High School Aviation Curriculum: An In-Depth Review

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

AB Flight, LLC................................................. 11 Adventure Pilot/iFly GPS............................ 43 AeroLEDS.......................................................... 46 Aims Community College........................... 5 ALSIM................................................................. 27 Aviation Insurance Resources (AIR)....... 46 Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc........ 40 Bristell Flight Academy............................... 46 California Baptist University...................... 48 Culver Props..................................................... 46 DeLand Sport Aviation Showcase........... 3 ExpressJet Airlines........................................ 23 Future & Active Pilot Advisors.................. 7 FlyGirl................................................................. 11 ForeFlight, LLC............................................... 19 Full Torque Propellers.................................. 33 General Aviation News................................. 46 Gold Seal........................................................... 35 Lockwood Aviation....................................... 38 M-Squared Aircraft, Inc................................ 21 MATCO mfg..................................................... 42 Midwest LSA Expo........................................ 34 NBAA.................................................................. 41 North Star Aviation....................................... 45 Open Air............................................................ 47 Piedmont Airlines........................................... 2 Pilot Partner..................................................... 11 Republic Airline............................................... 29 San Antonio Light Sport Aircraft............. 9 Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo ........... 12 Schweiss Doors............................................... 46 Sensenich Propeller Mfg. Co., Inc............. 37 STEM Pilot......................................................... 44 Stewart Systems............................................. 39 Sun ‘n Fun......................................................... 43 Vans Aircraft.................................................... 15 Zenith Aircraft Company............................ 13

Lakeland Aero Club’s 5th Trip to AirVenture..................................................6 Aviation Exploring Is Your Ticket to the Airport............................................8 Is a Career in Aviation Right for Me?..................................................................10 I Always Thought I Could Be a Pilot...................................................................12 FSANA’s Youth Envoy Flies ALSIM’s AL250...................................................14 AOPA’s High School Aviation Curriculum: An In-Depth Review.............16 Flight Attendant Prep Academy..........................................................................20 The Flying Musicians 2018 Solo Scholarship Recipients.............................22 Iowa State University’s - Cyclone Aero Design..............................................24 Young Aviators Fly-In @ Triple Tree Aerodrome...........................................30 Aviore: Aviation’s Newest Superhero!...............................................................34 GAMA Announces 2018 Aviation Design Challenge Winning Teams....36 Summer in the Skies.................................................................................................38 FLY8MA.com, and Online Private Pilot Ground School...............................42 What Does It Take?....................................................................................................44 Helping Your School Start an Aviation Class..................................................47

JULY

AT TR ACT, EDUCATE & EMPOWER YOUTH IN AVIATION

INSIDE Young Aviators Fly-In @ Triple Tree Aerodrome Iowa State University’s Cyclone Aero Design AOPA’s High School Aviation Curriculum: An In-Depth Review

$5.00 | www.avinationusa.com

Brought to you by:

h from Bryan Cavalcanti, 14 bot Bracey, 18 and passenger Cover photo Pilot Layton rs Fly-In ato Avi arting from the Young a 1953 Piper L-18C. Dep Lakeland Florida flying e. at Triple Tree Aerodrom

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About AviNation AviNation exists to attract, educate and empower youth in aviation.

AviNation magazine strives to give readers insight into the future of aviation by focusing on aviation students, programs, events and innovative approaches to the promotion and continued growth of the aviation industry.

Staff & Contributors Publisher: Jacob Peed Editorial Coordinator: Jeff Jorgenson Copy Editor: Sarah Waychoff Administrative & Circulation Coordinator: Jessica Peed Design & Production: Megan Curtis, Lime Valley Advertising, Inc. Mankato, MN Correspondence Editorial submissions and other correspondence E-mail: jppeed@gmail.com Phone: (515) 408-3763 www.avinationusa.com Advertising Phone: (515) 408-3763 E-mail: jppeed@gmail.com www.avinationusa.com Contributing Writers Brian Gerike Cayla McLeod Cindy Hasselbring Dean Damato Dick Knapinski Elise Peterson Erin Mitchell Hayden White Jamie Helander Jason Whited Jeff Auen Jeff Jorgenson Jerod Heying Jon Kotwicki Mark Macchia Mike Zidziunas Mark Wiesenhahn Ryan Hunt Sarah McCann Shalyn C. Marchetti The ULPower Guy

From the Publisher: It is hard to believe it has been a year since I started working on this mission to help spread the saving powers of aviation to people that might not think it is possible for them. One year ago, I launched an 8-page “Pilot� issue and now we are on our third full 48-page issue and will soon be going to 64 pages.

A few things of note: We are expanding our content for the next issue. We are including a section for Youth-owned and operated businesses, in order to give the businesses visibility and help introduce them to the larger general aviation population. We want to offer this at no charge to the up and coming entrepreneur. Another addition is a new section for app/website reviews, as well as one for books. Please email me directly if you have information to offer our readers.

We are are putting a call out for selfies in an airplane! We want it to be legal, safe and in no way a misuse of our great freedom to fly. We want to be the first magazine to feature young adults aviating, especially fitting is the selfie. Look for your images on our Instagram feed at www.avinationusa.com.

Last month we attended our first Future & Active Pilot Advisors (FAPA) job fair in the Chicago area and then participated in their afternoon session called the FAPA Future Pilot Forum. I would suggest this event to anyone looking for a professional piloting job. And on the Future Pilot side, the event organizers have a very effective way for presenting information and the attendees were very attentive. I am happy to report there is still a very interested and high quality youth element just waiting to be able to take the steps to dive into this great industry.

Be on the lookout for us at Oshkosh. Our Junior Reporters will be on the grounds gathering content and conducting interviews.

We look forward to our yearly family reunion!

Fly Safe, Jacob jppeed@gmail.com

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LAKELAND AERO CLUB’S 5TH TRIP TO AIRVENTURE

By Mike Zidziunas Once again we are thrilled to be at Airventure in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. This is the 5th time that teenage members of the Lakeland Aero Club have flown themselves across this great country in vintage airplanes to take part in aviation’s greatest celebration. This is the first visit to Airventure for all seven of these teens, proudly wearing black Aero Club shirts. For some, it is their first time out of the state of Florida.

Two young ladies grace our presence at Airventure this year. 19 year old Olivia Sullivan is a private pilot working on her instrument rating and will be attending UNO starting in August. 16 year old Katie Esker is a student at the Central Florida Aerospace Academy, an aviation themed high school, located on the SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida. Katie is the project leader on a Xenos motor glider project being built in the Lakeland Aero Club hangar. She has received a Redbird simulator installer certificate because of her work building and installing the Redbird FMX simulator at the Lakeland Aero Club headquarters. Katie wants to pursue a career in aerospace engineering. Our young male pilots are Layton Bracey, who soloed a glider when he was just 14. Now, at 18 years old, Layton flew the “Little Cub” (the club’s 1947 PA-11) here while taking a break from working on his commercial rating. The “Big Cub”, a 1953 Piper L-18C restored by club members and making its 3rd visit to Airventure, is flown by 18 year Private Pilot with an instrument rating, old Davis Benningfield. Layton, Davis, and myself are each flying with 14 year old future pilots: Kenny Gerace, Sebastian Piedra, and Bryan Cavalcanti, who will start glider training when we return to Lakeland. Finally, the last of the “kids” joining us on this adventure is John “Lites” Leenhouts, President of SUN ‘n FUN, flying with some of these young pilots in his vintage Piper.

To date, more than two dozen teens have flown themselves to Oshkosh for Airventure in airplanes older than their grandparents. Airplanes that they have restored and maintained themselves, under qualified supervision. They are all EAA members and participate in the annual general membership meeting during the convention. “You can’t miss us; we’ll be close to the front row.”

Lakeland Aero Club is a not for profit 501c3 aviation charity, committed to “Making tomorrow’s greatest aviators ..... Today.” The “Club” grew out of a very successful program, administered by SUN ‘n FUN and the Aerospace Center for Excellence (ACE). More than 125 teenagers have soloed an airplane, and 65 have received their Private Pilot Certificate before graduating from high school. So, in today’s world, what does a 17 year old Private Pilot, still in high school, do next? Lakeland Aero Club grew out of the need for these young pilots to have a place to grow into aviators. Out of all the forces that make up the fundamentals of flight, the one thing that makes an airplane fly is ... money.

Lakeland Aero Club is entirely funded through donations and fundraising efforts. One of our most rewarding fundraising activities is hosting EAA’s Ford Tri-Motor during its Florida tour. For three years Lakeland Aero Club has worked closely with Cody Welch and the Tri-Motor team during the Ford’s visit to Lakeland. Club members are tasked with all of the responsibilities associated with the Tri-Motor operations during its stay in Lakeland. The funds generated from the Ford’s visit go towards annual trips to Oshkosh. The Ford Tri-Motor is an outstanding ambassador for EAA because it has grown participation in aviation by providing an opportunity to these teens. Not only to preserve the history of aviation, but also to use that experience to be able to participate in Airventure, and to enjoy “The Spirit of Aviation”.

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AVIATION EXPLORING IS YOUR TICKET TO THE AIRPORT A fun way for teens to learn about careers in aviation

By Mark Wiesenhahn If you’re the kind of kid who looks up when an airplane flies by, we have some new friends to introduce you to who share your passion for aviation. Meet the Boy Scouts of America’s Aviation Explorers. But girls, don’t stop reading. Even though Aviation Explorers are a Boy Scout group, Exploring is open to all – young men and women from sixth grade to high school. By becoming an Aviation Explorer, you can meet and become friends with kids just like you, young people who love everything about airplanes.

So how does it work? If you’re interested in becoming an Aviation Explorer, you’ll join a local post, which is like a local chapter of a national club. Each post has its own schedule – some meet every other week; some meet once a month during the school year. There are no uniforms or merit badges – just you and a bunch of friends hanging out, having fun, and learning at the airport.

Aviation Explorers do exactly what the program says – you explore; in this case, you explore aviation.

Through a national network of local Exploring posts, thousands of young people interact with pilots, air traffic controllers, engineers and others to become familiar with the career opportunities available in aviation.

A typical Aviation Explorer meeting might be a field trip to an aviation museum, a tour of your airport’s air traffic control tower, a peek inside a luxurious corporate jet, or even a discussion with an airline pilot, corporate pilot or agricultural pilot. Some meetings offer hands-on experiences. You may work with an airplane mechanic and turn a wrench in an airplane or lend a hand to

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someone building their own airplane. Each meeting is different and every meeting introduces you to a new aspect of aviation.

A highlight for many Aviation Explorers is a yearly trip to EAA AirVenture. That’s the “world’s largest airshow” held each year in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. If you attend AirVenture with your Exploring post, you’ll camp right on the grounds of the show. When you’re not experiencing all that Oshkosh has to offer—daily airshows and thousands of airplanes— you’ll volunteer and work behind the scenes helping the airshow run smoothly. Aviation Exploration Base will be your home for the week where you eat your meals and camp out in tents. But it’s not all work – lots of fun activities are included. It’s an experience like no other.

Another benefit of becoming an Explorer is the opportunity to apply for scholarships. Each year, Aviation Exploring awards thousands of dollars in academic scholarships to Explorers pursuing their aviation dreams.

Applying for a scholarship is easy, and your post’s leader will guide you through the process. An Aviation Explorer scholarship could put a big dent in your upcoming aviation expenses – another great reason to become Aviation Explorer.

Interested in becoming an Aviation Explorer? Here’s your next step. Go to aviationexploring.org and click on “Get Involved.” There you will fill out a form and someone from Aviation Exploring will contact you. Be sure to select “aviation” as your area of interest in the pull-down menu.

See you at the airport!

CALLING ALL PRO-AVIATION ADULTS! EVER THINK OF YOURSELF AS A ROLE MODEL? Everyone has heard of the Boy Scouts, but you may not have heard of the Boy Scouts’ career exploration program, Exploring. Explorers are a branch of the Boy Scouts, open to young men and women from 6th to 12th grade.

“Explorers are kids who have already developed an interest in aviation and are looking for ways to act on their interests,” says Sporty’s Pilot Shop vice president Mark Wiesenhahn who serves on the board for Aviation Exploring and also hosts Sporty’s own Explorer post at Clermont County Airport in Ohio. “What’s more, they are generally the good kids who are thinking about their future and are eager to learn more.”

Aviation Exploring is always on the lookout for people interested in hosting their own Aviation Exploring post. This is not as much of a time commitment as you may think.

Local posts decide how many meetings are held each year – a typical post meets twice a month during the school year. Local posts also plan their own content and activities, ranging from guest speakers and hands-on projects to field trips to museums and airport tours. However, posts can also rely on Aviation Exploring to provide local guidance from AviationExploring.com, which provides more information and loads of resources for post leaders. A generous academic scholarship program is also available to active Explorers.

Whether you’re a pilot or a mechanic, an engineer or a flight attendant, you operate in a world that is magical to young people interested in an aviation career. You have the opportunity to be a role model and mentor for deserving teens, anxious to learn everything about the aviation community. If you want to explore the possibility of hosting your own Aviation Exploring post, email Mark Wiesenhahn at mark.w@sportys.com with any questions or to set up a phone conversation to learn more.

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IS A CAREER IN AVIATION RIGHT FOR ME?

By The ULPower Guy Who knows? Here is the way I look at it.

Pretend it is morning time. You just woke up. You have nothing planned for the day. Nowhere to go. Nowhere to be.

No commitments. Are you with me so far? Good...

So, what do you want to do today?

Do you want to be outside or inside? Do you want to be with people or alone? Do you want to go somewhere or stay home? If you want to go somewhere, do you want to go near or far? Where do you want to be tonight, home, away, far away, abroad?

What tasks do you like to do? Do you like to use computers? Do you like to create things? Do you like to fix things? Do you prefer an office, a workshop, or neither? Do you like math? Do you like social interaction (media or in-person)?

Do you like airplanes (big or small)? Do you like airports?

Do you like hangars? Do you like flying?

Where do you want to live? Big city, little city, or in the country? Do you want to travel?

How much money do you want? Enough to get by, or do you want to be filthy rich?

If/when you have kids, do you want to see them at night?

Do you want to see them during the day?

Continue asking yourself questions like this to really figure out what you like to do. If you find you really like airplanes, there are a boatload of opportunities in the aviation industry. Depending upon your answers to all of the questions I just mentioned, and others you asked yourself, here are just a few jobs in Aviation you can now compare with what you like to do. This will help you see if a Career in Aviation might be right for you.

• Airline Pilot • Flight Attendant • Corporate Pilot • Flight instructor • Airplane mechanic (airline, corporate, or small planes)

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• Airplane designer • Airline employee (other than above) • Airplane sales or marketing • Any of a million jobs for the companies that build components for airplanes.

• Aviation attorney • FAA employee • Military (lots of jobs there) Okay, next step. If you think you have an idea of a job you might like, find a job description for that job at a company that is currently hiring. See if it sounds like a good fit for you. Workplace? Tasks? Travel?

Compensation? Benefits? Work location? Co-workers?

Finally, if you’ve made it this far, the best thing you could ever do is to find somebody working in that job and interview them. Most people would be happy to give you advice. Ask them what they like best, least. Ask them if they would do it all over again, or pick a different career.

With all this data in hand you can then decide how to get the knowledge, skills, and abilities to achieve such a job.

And remember, knowing what you don’t like to do is also a critical component in this analysis.

Good luck and have fun!

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I ALWAYS THOUGHT I COULD BE

By Shalyn C. Marchetti

A PILOT

I always thought I could be a pilot. Flying has been in my family for three generations now, working on a fourth. My mother and father, grandmother and grandfather, sister, and brother-in-law are all pilots. I had plenty of positive role models when it came to aviation. However, until I hit 18, I had very little interest. I would be lying if I said flying didn’t scare me a little.

I’m not 100% sure why 18 changed that in me, but suddenly it went from something I thought to something I knew. Flying didn’t come easily at first; it does for very few people. But, it grew into something I could manage, then something I could easily control.

Nonetheless, my first solo was nothing shy of terrifying. I had known it was coming; but still, when the instructor got out of the Cub, I’m sure my face went white. Les, my instructor, turned back to me and said these words which I will never forget, “Some people believe that if God intended us to fly, he would have given us wings. I think they’re wrong. If God had intended us to stay on the ground, He would have given us roots, and I don’t see any. Go have fun.” As a flight instructor myself now, those words are passed on to all of my students before their first solo. As he walked away and signaled me to go, I somehow managed the courage to push the throttle forward. Next thing I knew, the plane was airborne! In downwind, I like to joke that I had a minor panic attack. The realization that me, and only me, was going to bring this plane down (and in one piece lest my father murder me) was terrifying.

But, I survived. And, in October of the next year, I was calling my dad with happy tears, letting him know he had another pilot in the family.

Over the next year, I tried to figure out what to do with my life. I finished an Associate of Arts degree at the local community college, and I was working as a “rampie” at the local airport, loading bags for a very small regional airline named Cape Air. Working for Cape Air as a rampie was one of the best jobs I could have had. Many of the pilots I worked with took me under their wing, and I learned a lot from them. I spent about a year at Cape Air before one of the pilots told me to go do something about my ratings.

Flying into the Future!

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Barely a month later, June 2015, I was packing my bags and moving to St. Louis to start training with Airline Transport Professionals, or ATP Flight school, as it is most commonly known.

The next eight months were a blur of studying, flying, taking checkrides, studying, flying, taking more checkrides, and well, you get the idea. I was fortunate enough to have several wonderful instructors, such as Caitrin, Ashley, and John. ATP was a wonderful school for me. And, while I know others have had varied experiences, the fast pace and the rigid curriculum allowed me to finish in November 2015 (yes, same year), as a CFI, CFII, and MEI. Soon I was off to Charlotte, North Carolina, to begin instructing, which is how I met my now husband, Alex.

After six months flight instructing and a few close calls (instructing can be dangerous), I was on to the next big thing. In this case, the next big thing was a King Air 200. In a flying career, one often hears the words “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” This isn’t entirely truthful, but also not entirely untruthful. While I was a commercial multi-engine pilot, my job as a King Air pilot was in part due to the fact that my private pilot instructor was the grandpa of the company’s chief pilot. So to any young wanna-be pilots out there, be nice to everyone. You never know when it will pay off.

As of now, Alex and I are living in Scottsdale, Arizona, both working as instructors.

We are trying to build hours while passing on our knowledge to our “kids”, as instructors often refer to their students. To me, there is very little more rewarding than watching my students succeed. When I send my students up on their first solo, I can easily shed a few tears out of happiness.

As someone who is still young in their career, I’m still trying to figure out what’s next from here. The airlines are the logical next step. However, sometimes there is more to it. A deep part of me would love nothing more than to be an aerial firefighter. But, aviation has a peculiar way of pointing you towards where you need to go, and I’m sure I’ll figure out what’s next over time.

For anyone even a little interested in flying, take an intro flight. See if it’s for you, and then go from there. Even if being a pilot ISN’T for you, I would still recommend a career in aviation. There are plenty of options for those interested in aviation from a non-pilot standpoint, such as ATC, being a rampie, flight attendant, and more.

Flying for me started as an obligation, then a fear, and now, nothing shy of a great love. I cannot imagine my life without aviation. The people you meet and the places you go are nothing short of spectacular. It’s the greatest adventure.

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FSANA’S YOUTH ENVOY FLIES ALSIM’S AL250

By Elise Peterson HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN AVIATION? Well, I have always loved planes. My parents would take me to a toy store, and I only ever wanted airplanes or helicopters. Trust me they tried dolls, but that is just not my thing. Mom says when I was about two, she said to me, “You know people drive those, and they are called pilots.” I guess it just stuck. In preschool, my friends wanted to become princesses or Batman; me, always a pilot!

WE FIRST MET AT THE FSANA CONFERENCE IN SAN DIEGO THIS PAST FEBRUARY WHERE YOU TRIED OUR VIRTUAL REALITY HEADSET TO SEE INSIDE OUR ALX SIMULATOR. WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THAT? That was pretty cool. I mean, it was like I was really a part of the actual flight crew. How could you not like that?

THEN, WE MET AGAIN WHEN YOU SURPRISED US AT SUN ‘N FUN! YOU FLEW OUR AL250 SIMULATOR LIKE A TRUE PILOT. TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE AL250: That was awesome! I even got to fly left seat! That is an amazing simulator. It is super realistic and it gives you a true feeling of flying an actual airplane.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST BENEFIT OF SIMULATORS FOR YOUNG PILOTS? I like the simulators because I can practice some sometimes crazy moves, but I have the advantage of walking away from that landing (That makes Mom & Dad super happy). But seriously, it gives me a true feel of a real life flight and helps me work towards my flight time, so I can be the best pilot I can be!

WHAT TYPES OF PLANES HAVE YOU FLOWN OR BEEN IN? WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE? Cessna 172, Robinson R22, Grumman AA5, Rans 519, and PA32. My favorite have been the Cirrus SR20 & the Mooney 201. So far, I have only flown left seat a few times in the Cessna & the Cirrus.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS AS A PILOT? Overall, I want to share my love of aviation with other kids as the Youth Envoy with FSANA. Maybe even work with someone to develop a simulator truly for kids (hint hint). My personal goals this summer are to do my first water landing and I would like to start glider training soon. My goal is to get my glider license at 14, solo at 16. I would love to fly a vintage biplane sometime. At one point, I want to train with Patty Wagstaff because she is my hero and is amazing! Eventually, I would like to attend Embry Riddle for college and play on the girls golf team.

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AOPA’S HIGH SCHOOL AVIATION CURRICULUM:

AN IN-DEPTH REVIEW

By Hayden White

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I have just finished my Freshman year of High School, and it was awesome. A huge part of my year was the AOPA Aviation Course. I have been a student pilot for a few years now; my Dad and Grandpa are both CFI’s.

We have a 1958 J-35 Bonanza and a 1947 J-3 Piper Cub that has been in the family for just over 50 years now. Not only this, but I aspire to be a Commercial Pilot for one of the major airlines someday. Now, I may be biased towards this course because of my background in aviation, but my background also allows me to be more critical towards the course as I like to think I know a lot about airplanes. Anyway, here is my in-depth review and experience of the AOPA’s High School Aviation Curriculum.

This year, AOPA released a curriculum for some chosen high schools across the United States. I have had the privilege of attending one of those schools. In fact, it is why I chose to attend that school. St. Michael the Archangel Catholic High School opened in Lee’s Summit, Missouri this past fall for its first year of classes. Not only do they offer aviation classes, they also have an outline of recommended courses for people interested in the aviation industry. St. Michael’s is the only Private Catholic school in the nation with this curriculum, which is why Carly Cook, a Sophomore, says that “Every day is an opportunity.”

The AOPA curriculum provides teachers with many resources, including many PowerPoints. These presentations include all the information that you need to know in order to pass the tests, as well as the class.

At St. Michael’s (and maybe other schools), only the first year of the four-year curriculum was offered. This is a yearlong class covering both semesters. The first semester was mostly the history of aviation. Not just the Wright Brothers, but also Leonardo da Vinci, and numerous people that flew gliders prior to the Wright Brothers making the first powered flight.

Other topics covered included World Wars I and II and the advancements made in aviation during that time period, the creation of the jet engine, and advancements made in navigating the skies.

The second semester was all about current issues, or topics that are being discussed in the aviation Industry.

A big topic was drones and autonomous flight. We discussed drones in the military, personal drones and the restrictions on them, as well as how you can become a drone pilot. After discussing benefits of the drones, we talked about the challenges of integrating drones into the national airspace system.

Another big topic in this curriculum was Electric Aircraft. With all the electric cars driving around, you would think we could expect fully electric aircraft

anytime, right? In this year’s aviation class, we learned that public transportation on electric aircraft may not be as close as you think. The batteries do not last long enough to carry an airplane of two passengers for more than a couple hours max, let alone an airplane with 150 passengers for several hours.

Other topics in this unit included colonization of Mars and challenges we are facing with spacecraft, supersonic aircraft (particularly focusing on the Concorde), and aviation’s environmental footprint. The environmental footprint was specifically interesting because we thought the aviation industry would account for a large amount of the worlds pollution, but it actually only accounts for two-percent of it. And, seventy percent of that two percent is carbon dioxide, the other thirty percent is mostly water.

This class, was not just about the curriculum. It was also about the experience. We managed to go on two field trips throughout the year and everybody enjoyed them. These included the Air Traffic Control Center located in Olathe, Kansas, and Burns & McDonnell’s World Headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. Aaron Davis said that the Burns & McDonnell World HQ was his favorite because he got to see “All the things they do”. At the Air Traffic Control Center we learned about the education required to become a controller as well as the training required. We also met with a meteorologist that works there as well. At the Burns & McDonnell World HQ, we heard from several engineers and what they do in the aviation industry. This ranged from using drones to inspect buildings on a daily basis, to constructing hangars and airports. Several of these engineers that we heard from were also involved in creating potential plans for the new Kansas City International Airport.

In this class, we also conducted a number of experiments and projects. Our very first project was constructing a hot air balloon out of a material similar to tissue paper. The AOPA curriculum provided us with the packet of instructions; we chose our groups and went to work. Our instructor was more than happy to help us whenever we needed it.

Another project we worked on, during the last few weeks of school was called ‘Space Condo’. Basically, what we had to do was create an airtight container that would keep a peep from expanding in a vacuum chamber. In this project, we were specifically told to use the engineering design process that had the steps of identifying the problem, brainstorming solutions, choosing a solution, constructing a prototype, testing a prototype, refining the design, and sharing your solution with others.

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When it comes to our instructor, we definitely had one of the best. Howard Schneeberger was a pilot for Trans World Airlines for 32 years after attending Air Force ROTC at the University of Notre Dame and receiving a commission as an officer in the Air Force. Mr. Schneeberger has shared with us his many experiences as a pilot, as well as an Air Force Pilot. All of the students in my class had good feedback about him. Carly Cook, a sophomore, says that “With the guidance and leadership of a profound Instructor, we have been given a chance to make a difference”. Another student, Christopher Rizzi, also a sophomore, says that he is “Inspired by him on a day to day basis and looks forward to having him as a teacher again next year”. As for me, I think that not only does Mr. Schneeberger have a great deal of experience, but he is also more than willing to share those memories. He has told us about many things ranging from near mid-air collisions in the Air Force, to subordinate pilots at the airlines.

Several students wanted to give more input about what they thought and liked.

Audrey Maglich says that she had “No intention of joining” until her dad “Signed her up”. However, she also says that she has no regrets about attending the classes and really enjoyed applying the classroom knowledge into the projects.

Carly Cook told me that she really enjoyed several of the activities, including flying drones in the gym and making pressurized capsules for marshmallow Peeps.

Christopher Rizzi mentioned our project on air foils, saying that he “Enjoyed making the wind tunnel from everyday materials and then testing homemade air foils”. Aaron Davis says that his favorite PowerPoint was about sonic speed and space travel and that he would “highly recommend this class if you have any sort of interest in aviation”. Most everybody in our class said that they were excited for the class and they had high expectations. Not only that, but they also said their expectations were more than met.

The Principal of St. Michael the Archangel High School, Jodie Maddox, has been very excited to have the aviation program at the school. She says that the school is “Committed to creating an environment rich in discovery and discernment.

Having an aviation program that explores different elements of science, math, and technology opens a world of possibilities for all of our students”. Mrs. Maddox also says that “As we grow along with our program, it will be exciting to see what other opportunities develop because of this one STEM initiative.” Mrs. Maddox has been very supportive of the AOPA aviation program over the course of the year and can’t wait to see where it leads all of the students.

So, what do we all think about this course? We think very highly of it. Although it is a brand-new program, it seems to have been planned very precisely and with the student in mind. While some people enjoy the PowerPoints, I do not prefer them. However, I understand why they make the presentations available. It is most likely so that students can see images and other resources relating to what their instructor is referring to and it is great for taking notes because you don’t have to ask the teacher to repeat everything. Our school uses a website called Google Classroom, so Mr. Schneeberger was able to post the presentations on the website, so that we could use them to study for the quizzes and exams. I think that Carly said it best; “Every day is an opportunity.” I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. The AOPA curriculum is constantly mentioning the pilot shortage and how much the aviation industry needs pilots, as well as aircraft mechanics, engineers, or whatever it may be. Furthermore, not only do they mention what we need now, but also in the future, 10 years from now, even 25 years from now.

During the unit on drones, the curriculum gave many examples of what careers used drones. There were so many. As we learned at Burns & McDonnell, engineers use drones all the time to identify problems, solutions, and anything in-between.

The other students in my class and I have said numerous times that we have no regret taking this course and I am sure that anyone else who takes this class will feel exactly the same way.

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FLIGHT ATTENDANT PREP ACADEMY Aviation Youth Ambition and Entrepreneurship, an interview with Lia Volpe Drobot, founder of the Flight Attendant Prep Academy and Jetline Clothing

By Jeff Jorgenson JEFF: How did you get involved in aviation?

LIA: At age 19, I met with a flight attendant recruiter and was encouraged to interview. Frankly, my first interview bombed, which I probably shouldn’t say in the industry, but it didn’t go well. It was horrible.

But, I learned from it and had a chance for a second interview with another airline, and I was better prepared and got the job!

JEFF: Wow, that’s fantastic! That was in 2003, so how did the Flight Attendant Academy come about?

LIA: Well, I was working for a regional airline until about 2006 when I got on with American West.

Then, my entrepreneurial spirit guided me down several paths along the way before we get to the Flight Attendant Prep Academy, www.FAPrep.com

JEFF: What was the path that led to FA Prep?

LIA: Well, first, I began to notice as a flight attendant, that on layovers, there wasn’t much fashion for me to wear to promote my passion for aviation. As I searched online, I couldn’t find much out there.

And, what was already out there was just overpriced, poor quality, cotton t-shirts that weren’t really inspiring. So I began to look more and decided that since there wasn’t anything out there, that I would creating something!

JEFF: So, you created a clothing line for flight attendants?

LIA: Well, not just flight attendants. I wanted to create a line that anyone with any career in aviation or a passion for flying, would want to wear. So in 2008, I started Jetline Clothing. You can find us on Facebook.

I wanted something that was a conversation starter.

Think classy, but sexy. In fact, that’s kind of my slogan, “Fly classy, look sexy!” I’ve had a lot of fun with it with things like flyGirl, Sky Goddess, Plane Princess and a shirt for pilots that says, “Marry me, Fly for Free!”

JEFF: Have you received a lot of interest in the clothing line?

LIA: Oh my, yes! We sold out at Oshkosh (AirVenture) last year and are sold at international airports in Seattle, Minneapolis, Tucson and Miami. We have even been featured on MSN and FOX News!

JEFF: That’s Amazing, Congratulations! So, how does the clothing line lead to the FA Prep Academy?

LIA: It’s interesting. A producer for the movie Baggage Claim saw my clothing and wanted to use it in the

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movie. I sent them several boxes of stuff. They LOVED it!

As we were talking about fashion and how it would be used properly, they learned that I was a flight attendant and started using me as a flight attendant consultant for the movie. They even flew me out to Burbank, California.

When I got there and started giving pointers to get the proper procedures right for the film, they asked if I would be interested in being a flight attendant extra in the movie!

JEFF: Wow; so, you’re a movie star!? Is that how you started FA Prep Academy?

LIA: Well, I don’t know about movie star; but, yes, I was in the movie. The FA Academy sort of started about the same time as the movie, actually. As a flight attendant, there were two questions that I was asked more than anything. The first was, “Where is your favorite layover?” FYI, it’s Austin, Texas. The people and atmosphere are great. It’s just a great place. Secondly, I get the question, “How do you get started as a flight attendant?” That put the bug in my ear to start something to help people get started. So I did. Since I’m in the Industry, I know the ins and outs. I’ve established the connections with the airlines, I know what they are looking for. In 2014, I launched FA Prep Academy. Now, I have earned the reputation of providing quality education for people interested in becoming a flight attendant and the airlines know they are hiring someone with the skills they need when they come through FAPrep.com. It’s so competitive that it’s virtually unheard of to get hired off the streets for a flight attendant position anymore. You have to know someone and have the skill set.

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JEFF: Now in your fourth year, how’s it going?

LIA: Thanks for asking. We actually have a 90% placement rate with our graduates because we have agreements with several airlines. We connect our people where it makes the most sense.

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Flying Musicians Award 2018 SOLO SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

By Jeff Auen The Flying Musicians Association (FMA) is proud to announce our 2018 FMA Solo scholarship recipients – John Laughman of Pleasant Hill, Ohio and Nathan Nothelle of Imlay City, Michigan.

Quality nominations from all across the United States and Canada made the selection process difficult. John Zapp, co-founder and President of FMA, said, “Every nominee was spectacular, but we had to choose just two, and we are very proud of these enthusiastic, talented young people.”

The FMA Solo Scholarships are made possible by our sponsors, donors, and members contributing their time and talents; and through hosting FMA’s popular HangarJAMs. FMA has soloed six student musician Scholarship winners in three years.

You can follow John and Nathan as they blog about their journey. Visit www.FMAsolo.org to congratulate and add your words of encouragement and wisdom.

The 2019 FMA Solo program kicks off in the fall. This scholarship is unique, bringing an aspiring music student from zero time to solo. FMA covers roughly fifteen hours of dual instruction, online ground school, training materials and additional products from sponsors. FMA envisioned and instituted this scholarship program because it recognizes the parallel skills involved in flying and performing music and wants to promote both areas of growth in our inspired and dedicated future leaders.

How many Solo Scholarships the FMA can award is up to the aviation and music communities -- and you!

Please contact Education@FlyingMusicians.org.

“Flying and music are my two passions in life and the Flying Musicians have put both of those together for a great cause. I believe educating the next generation is so important for music and aviation to continue on.”

– Aaron Tippin

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Nathan Nothelle

John Laughman

“My wife and I want to help where we can and so we decided to sponsor an FMA scholarship ourselves through the Auen O’Shea Family Fund. Music and aviation are deeply rooted in our family and combining the two through FMA is a worthwhile endeavor. We encourage others to do the same. Visit the FMA website and get inspired yourself, or better yet meet one or more of these impressive young adults. Consider sponsoring a scholarship. It won’t break the bank, and it provides a valuable boost for deserving applicants.”

- Jeff Auen Our sponsors are doing their part. Thank them. Join them. Bose Aviation, Sporty’s Pilot Shop, MYGOFLIGHT, and Gleim Aviation have contributed. FMA also acknowledges Aviators Hot Line, Trade-A-Plane, AviNation, Sensenich Propellers, and 121five.com for their extensive help in raising awareness of FMA programs.

The Flying Musicians Association (FMA) is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit corporation (EIN: 80-0433326) of pilots who are musicians, spanning the globe, proficiency levels, and genres. The goal is to share our passions in order to inspire, educate, and encourage through performances, presentations, networking, and scholarships. Donate or arrange a bequest. If you believe in the joys of music and flying, and the future, there is no better way to make a lasting difference. We’re doing it together, one student at a time. More: www.FlyingMusicians.org www.FMAsolo.org

Your future at United begins with ExpressJet United Airlines and ExpressJet have partnered to offer our pilots a direct path to a Flight Officer position at United through the United Pilot Career Path Program.

Learn about our Pilot Career Path Program at expressjet.com/cpp

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IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY’S CYCLONE AERO DESIGN

By Mark Macchia, Brian Gerike, Jerod Heying, Erin Mitchell, and Jason Whited Cyclone Aero Design, an emerging new engineering club at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, is giving students valuable experience in the aviation industry. Cyclone Aero Design was created by students two years ago to develop technical skills to build upon their classroom experiences. These students are exposed to a wide variety of experiences including iterative design, detailed analysis, and manufacturing alongside leadership, program management, and business skills. Additionally required for their competition is a technical design paper, and technical design reviews among peers and professionals. Currently, the team has seven sponsors and partners to fund a $10,000 budget, which is completely student fundraised. The team has almost tripled in size since its founding in Fall 2016, going from 12 members to 34 across six subteams. Both the team and its members have grown tremendously over the last two years in many different ways. Growth in communication, sustainability, and design and manufacturing principles has been clearly evident.

Aero Design is one of five competition teams in the student group called Iowa State SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), a 220 member organization based on Iowa State University’s campus in Ames. The organization is one of the largest of its kind, providing college students with engineering, project management, marketing, and finance opportunities. Along with Aero Design, Iowa State SAE has four more teams: Baja, an off-road, single seat vehicle; Clean Snowmobile Challenge, a highly modified snowmobile that is designed to hold strict emissions and noise standards; Formula, an on-road open wheeled race car with extensive aerodynamic elements; and Supermileage, a high-efficiency vehicle designed to achieve more than 800 mpg. All vehicles, with the exception of the snowmobile, are designed from the ground up, and all five are manufactured completely by students. Many of the technologies developed and utilized in each of the vehicles can be translated into the aviation industry, including high-efficiency engine design, complex and ground-effect aerodynamics, and structural element design.

The SAE Aero Design competition tasks teams from various universities both within the US and Internationally to design an aircraft from the ground up. These RC planes are designed to simulate a commercial airliner, trying to carry as many passengers and cargo as possible.

Passengers are represented by tennis balls within the plane, and each passenger’s “cargo” is represented by a half-pound weight. At the competition, teams give a technical presentation where teams present their aircraft and their reasonings behind their design. From there, teams take their respective planes to a technical inspection where engineers from companies such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing inspect the RC aircraft to see if they are safe for flight. Once approved for flight, teams await their flight time. For the competition, your RC plane must take off within 200 ft., complete

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a full 360 degree circuit, and then land within 400 ft. Scoring is based off of the amount of passengers aboard your aircraft, with points being taken off if you have fewer passengers then what you designed for as stated in the design paper. Each team is given three attempts and the average of all three attempts gives the flight score. The design paper, presentation, and flight scores are then added up to create the team’s final score.

Cyclone Aero Design divides each competition season into two main phases, tracked in a Gantt Chart.

The first phase is design, where the CAD model is developed and analyzed, and prototypes are created to test conceptual designs. This is followed by the manufacturing phase, where the full scale plane is assembled and tested for competition. Three system teams of structures, aerodynamics, and propulsion/ control complete conceptual designs over the summer, with an integrations team ensuring compatibility.

When the fall semester begins, the teams produce preliminary designs in the first half of the fall semester and perform design validation and further iteration in the second half. Once the design has completed validation, material and vendor lists are compiled to start manufacturing at the beginning of the spring semester.

Each year the competition committee sends out a set of rules to the teams giving them restrictions on how large the aircraft may be, which materials may be used, and many other requirements. For this last competition season (2017-2018), size restrictions of a 12 ft wingspan with a 50 lb total weight were implemented. Power restrictions are also implemented, allowing the use of only one electric motor with a power limit of 1000 watts, which is about how much power a small refrigerator pulls. The most challenging aspect of our design is the restriction on composite materials. Most aircraft designed today are primarily made from composite materials such as carbon fiber or fiberglass because they have a low strength to weight ratio. The new Boeing 787 is a great example of this as 80% of the craft is made out of composite materials. For our craft, we are not allowed to use composites on any part of our plane except for the landing gear. This challenges us as a team to be resourceful and thoughtful in our material choices.

To meet this requirement, our craft is manufactured out of predominantly balsa and beech woods as well as foam, ABS plastic, and a very small amount of aluminum. These were chosen meticulously based on the physical properties they hold such as their strength and weight, but also for their ease of manufacturability.

With the restrictions and regulations in mind, Cyclone Aero Design created AD-2. Our aircraft

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went through several iterations before our team was satisfied with the design. Upon completion of the design, our team began manufacturing.

AD-2 was completed four months later and was built entirely by the Aero design students. AD-2 boasts a 12 ft tapered wing that can create lift of approximately 45 to 50 pounds. From tip to tail, the craft is 8 ft long. Fully loaded with cargo and passengers, our plane weighs 40 pounds. The cargo bay of the plane lies within the fuselage and is covered by the wing, which is detachable for both ease of transport and ease of access to the cargo bay.

The entire plane is covered in a monokote plastic, which serves as the skin of our aircraft and helps generate lift. A 1200 watt motor limited down to 1000 watts (as per the rules) drawing power from a six cell lithium polymer battery is used to propel the RC plane. The design of our tail shifted from the previous year’s usage of airfoils to flat plates on the stabilizers. The tail of the plane does not produce lift in steady level flight, so the flat plate acts as the horizontal and vertical stabilizer to produce the required lift to keep the plane steady in the event of yaw or pitching motion. The team also decided to use flaperons on the wings in place of a traditional aileron.

This was done to decrease the distance needed for takeoff, as well as to give more roll control when in flight. The vast majority of the parts were cut using a CNC router or laser cutter in order to keep tolerances low and ensure the parts would fit together without some of the issues that appeared in the previous year’s design. Our hard work culminated in an aircraft capable of creating 50 lbs of lift at 32 ft/s while also holding 30 tennis balls (passengers) along with their 15 pounds of cargo.

While engineering in aviation is the main focus of the club, many other disciplines and skills are developed within our students. Many of the tasks we deal with on yearly and day to day basis involve verbal and written communication, time management, and leadership skills. The team consists of a project and technical director, six subteam leaders, and 34 other team member who are all working on different tasks at different times. Keeping everyone on the same page and working towards goals and deadlines requires strong communication skills and planning from everyone on the team. Adding to that, our team must communicate with the four other SAE teams to plan club events and manage time between the teams

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on the equipment within the shop. Communication is very important to the success of Cyclone Aero Design at competition. We have to communicate our design effectively to industry experts in a technical presentation at the competition. Our team must also effectively communicate our design in a technical design paper, which is submitted to the competition committee.

Students within our club gain valuable experience in leadership and business as well. As stated earlier, there are eight different leadership positions within the club, each with their own responsibilities. There are two team managers, who oversee the whole team and make sure large scale needs are met, as well as sub-team leads who are more focused and work with smaller groups to get more specified tasks done. Cyclone Aero Design is also completely student fundraised. This means that we call and contact companies looking for sponsorships to run our $10,000 budget. Currently the team has seven sponsors including Gil Haugan Construction, Rockwell Collins, John Deere, and M2 Consulting. Funding goes to the manufacturing of the aircraft, competition expenses, and community outreach activities. Included

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in this, we as a team must create budgets for each year and keep track of finances. This gives our members a well-rounded experience that builds upon what they have learned in the classroom.

Cyclone Aero Design has quickly found its home at Iowa State University in the two years since its founding. Our members come from a variety of disciplines and offer new perspectives and talents that have allowed the team to grow and become increasingly more successful. The organization allows students to improve their critical thinking skills, technical design abilities, and communication skills all while providing a hands on learning experience and networking ability with industry professionals.

Moving on from the successes of last years season, Cyclone Aero Design is excited to welcome new members with the upcoming school year and ready to tackle the next competition.

Want to learn more about Cyclone Aero Design?

Considering supporting the team through a sponsorship or donation? Contact us at saeoutreach@iastate.edu; mention the AviNation article and one of our team members will be in touch.

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Classes begin September 2018. Learn more and start the free application process at flywithlift.com.

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YOUNG AVIATORS

@ TRIPLE TREE AERO

By Jeff Jorgenson, Cayla McLeod and Ryan Hunt It’s kind of fun to do the impossible ~ Walt Disney At ages 19 and 23, Cayla McLeod and Ryan Hunt did something neither of them had done before. The two put on what was the first of its kind - a youth fly-in at Triple Tree Aerodrome (SC00) in Woodruff, South Carolina. This was the first time either of them had ever hosted or organized any kind of event. It was also the first time Triple Tree had an aviation event open to the general public, and it was a huge success! As AviNation attended the event, we were continually amazed at several key factors, which we believe contributed to its success. First, it was all-inclusive. Yes, it was a “youth” fly-in, targeting Young Aviators ages 14 to 24.

However, seasoned adults were just as welcomed, as were families and younger children. Secondly, a large

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part of the aviation industry rallied around the event.

AviNation was there to watch EAA, AOPA, and the Academy of Model Aeronautics support the event. The 99’s were there, Air Force recruiters, and even airline recruiters from Endeavor and ExpressJet. From the teenagers of the Lakeland Aero Club, who flew up from Florida in two J-3 Cubs, to the Huey helicopter and Beech 18’s who made a commanding presence on the field, there were hundreds of planes to stop and gawk at throughout the weekend. The field itself also deserves some credit. It is an immaculate, golf-course quality, 7000 ft grass strip with plenty of aircraft parking, as well as plenty of room for tent camping and over 50 camper hookups.

Perhaps the most remarkable is how this event came to be. Cayla McLeod got her start in aviation only four years ago thanks to a Young Eagles ride out at

T-34 Mentor), and they started flying together on occasion. After months passed, the two became very close and could be found hanging out and flying out of the Hunt hangar whenever their schedules allowed.

That still remains true to this day! Ryan is a third generation A&P and commercial pilot.

FLY-IN

DROME

Peach State Aerodrome in Williamson, GA. At the age of 16, she started flying lessons and experienced an unfortunate setback when her flight instructor, Ron Alexander, passed away in a Curtiss Jenny accident.

Faced with mortality, she made the rather easy decision to continue to fly. During this time she was involved in the Candler Field Museum Youth Aviation Program where she traded over 750 hours of volunteer time for 75 hours of flight time. This is how she was able to earn her Private Pilot’s Certificate. She helped restore aircraft like Champs, Cubs, Super Cubs, a Stearman and a Kinnerbird, which gave her valuable experience on the maintenance side of aviation, as well as the flying side.

While Cayla was finishing up her Private Pilot training, she met Ryan Hunt, who had grown up in aviation. He offered to take her up in the Hunt family airplane (a

After receiving an invitation from Triple Tree’s patriarch, Pat Hartness, the two decided to venture up to Triple Tree for a tour. After touring the immaculate grounds with some members of the Triple Tree Board of Directors, Hartness approached the two about hosting a youth fly-in. Ryan and Cayla did not even have to think about it. Their immediate answer was, “Absolutely”. In December, the fly-in planning went into full swing. As Ryan humbly stated, “All it took was a couple of phone calls and emails before the word of a youth fly-in started spreading like wildfire.”

While watching them in action at the event, it was obvious they had earned tremendous support from the Triple Tree leadership and a multitude of volunteers, for which they are truly thankful. They wanted to specifically thank AOPA and the EAA for their event planning expertise, which was paramount to their success. They also wanted to thank the AMA, which was a major part of the event with a fantastic RC Airplane display and even RC airshows. It was well organized and professionally orchestrated.

I asked them how to get more youth involved.

Their answer was, “Lend a helping hand to the next generation. Take a young kid up for a flight, or sit down and teach them how an airplane flies. It’s all about sparking that passion. You never know the impact that a small conversation might have!”

They were only able to do this event due to the mentorship in the industry. They valued the encouragement and support from all the aviation mentors that helped make this event such a huge success. It solidifies what we believe at AviNation.

The ‘Adults’ in the aviation industry were mentored and/or learned through trial and error. Over time, their experiences led to prejudging ‘what will work’ and industry challenges they have faced, and competitive nature tends to make the current protective and mysterious. This attitude can sometimes make it difficult for the next generation to become involved. Individuals like Ryan and Cayla are working to change that.

The event was a great success by any measure. One of the highlights being the fact that they flew over 50 Young Eagles on their first-ever airplane ride.

There were several attendees who said this was the first fly-in event they had participated in. There were

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over 200 aircraft on the field, dozens of campers, and many drive-in attendees. They held a raffle at the event on Saturday evening that was really inspiring. Another highlight from the event was the raffle drawing that raffled off items such as GoPros, Stratuses, and even large RC airplanes. Ryan and Cayla had kids, ages 4 to 8, line up and each got to draw a raffle ticket from the jar. As each kid drew, many of the recipients chose to donate the gifts they had won to either the kid who drew the ticket, or in a couple of instances, to the youngest pilots who flew in. That level of mentorship is a sacrifice. It is a selfless gesture of successful industry leaders who are willing to step up to support and encourage the next generation of Young Aviators. By planting these seeds, I have now seen first-hand how democracy in the Open Air can create and inspire the next generation of pilots.

I am convinced that this is what is needed in General

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Aviation to keep it viable and strong into the future.

Guiding the youth, so they understand the balance of being careful and responsible, but also being allowed to make the mistakes will help them learn and grow. It will also breed new ways to promote, encourage, and use aviation.

Triple Tree Aerodrome holds its big annual fly-in in September 2018, so Ryan and Cayla are taking a little time to relax and enjoy each other’s company before they start planning next year’s Young Aviators Fly-In. The event is expected to be held again in June of 2019.

Some of their considerations are making sure school is out for maximum availability of attendees and trying not to coincide with other regional aviation events.

This was AviNation’s first trip to Triple Tree as a staff; and we, for one, plan to attend and support this fantastic event in the future.

AVIORE: AVIATION’S

By Dick Knapinski

In this age of wildly popular box office sensations, like the Marvel Comics’ franchise, The Avengers, Spiderman, Black Panther, and so many more, it’s about time that aviation has its own superhero. Well, it does, thanks to EAA and Marvel Comics founder Stan Lee (yes, THAT Stan Lee).

Aviore was gifted to EAA by the Stan Lee Foundation, with a mission to promote The Spirit of Aviation and the EAA’s Young Eagles program. Lee himself visited EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017 to introduce Aviore on the 25th anniversary of the Young Eagles program, the world’s most successful aviation youth outreach initiative. The Young Eagles program has given more than 2 million youngsters their first flight in a GA

“Stan Lee and EAA CEO/Chairman Jack Pelton (in suit) are joined by a host of Marvel Comics heroes and Aviore, a new superhero that Lee donated to the EAA Young Eagles program.

Photo from The Gathering of Eagles fundraiser, 7/27/2017 at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.” (EAA photo/Erin Brueggen)

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aircraft, with the help of 50,000 pilots and 50,000 ground volunteers.

“We cannot express deeply enough our appreciation to Stan Lee and the Stan Lee Foundation for their support of Young Eagles,” said EAA CEO and Chairman Jack J. Pelton. “With their commitment, we will bring Young Eagles even more visibility and participation in the next quarter-century.”

“It’s very important that we get young people more interested in aviation,” Stan Lee said. “One of the problems is, it doesn’t seem as exciting or glamorous to them today because it’s all jet planes, and they have the notion the pilot gets in the cockpit, sits down, presses a button, and goes to sleep while the plane does the work. We’ve got to find a way to let the young people know that there’s something very heroic and glamorous about [flight], and it’s not as easy as it looks.”

THE ADVENTURES OF AVIORE As you might imagine, the centerpiece of the Aviore story will be a series of comic books. And EAA is happy to announce that Issue #1 (sure to become a hot collectible!) will be available at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, July 23-29. If you’re there, be sure to grab your free copy. A digital edition of the comic book will also be available online at www.Aviore.org.

NEWEST SUPERHERO! SO…WHO IS AVIORE? Jake Peregrine Howard — Perry to his friends — is a young high school student living on a farm just outside of Wichita, Kansas. He’s infatuated with the eagles and hawks he’s seen soaring in the skies above him. Then, a Young Eagles flight at the local airport — his first time in the air — changes his life forever. The event triggers a powerful transformation of both mind and body, as

his senses became more acute and his mind sharpens, and Perry becomes a superhero, dedicating his life to using the power of flight to help those in need. As Aviore’s legend grows in tandem with his burgeoning superpowers, he becomes an inspiration to young people all over the world, encouraging them to follow their passions and find their place in the sky.

“Stan Lee (center) and EAA CEO/Chairman Jack Pelton introduce Stan’s new superhero, Aviore, who will be part of EAA’s Young Eagles program, during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017.” (EAA photo/Kelsey Kaiser)

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PRESS RELEASE

GAMA Announces 2018 Aviation Design Challenge Winning Teams

By Sarah McCann Washington, DC — The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) today announced that Erie 1 BOCES Harkness Career and Technical Center in Cheektowaga, New York, is the winner of the sixth annual Aviation Design Challenge and St. Croix Lutheran Academy in St. Paul, Minnesota, is the second-place winner. The Design Challenge, created in 2013, promotes Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education through aviation curriculum among U.S. high school students. GAMA will send four students, one teacher and one chaperone from the first-place team on an all-expenses paid trip to help build a plane at Glasair Aviation in Arlington, Washington, from June 17 to June 30. The second-place team will receive a two-day Redbird Flight Simulations STEM Lab Camp, hosted at their high school campus.

“I am very excited about how the Aviation Design Challenge has progressed over the years, with more schools participating and more GAMA member companies lending their support to the program,” said GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce. “While meeting with 140 members of the U.S. Congress this month during our annual GAMA Hill Day, our board members heard the message loud and clear that programs like the Aviation Design Challenge and other STEM initiatives our member companies host and support are critical to ensuring we have the pilots, engineers, assembly and maintenance technicians, and leaders to keep the general aviation industry growing in the future.”

The 2018 competition included registrants from 130 high schools spanning 39 states. The teams used Fly to Learn curriculum to learn the basics of aerospace engineering and then applied that knowledge by modifying a virtual airplane with software powered

by X-Plane. The software scored the aircraft based on the payload, the length of the flight and the amount of fuel burned. In addition, judges from GAMA’s engineering team evaluated a summary of modifications each team made to the virtual Cessna 172SP, a checklist of steps involved in the demonstration flight and a video submission in which a student from the team or the team summarized what they learned.

“Hands-on experience with industry offers a tremendous value to student learning,” said

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Director of Erie 1 BOCES Career and Technical Education Michael Capuana. “As we need more young people to enter STEM careers, all efforts to increase student engagement are embraced. Thank you to GAMA and its partners for their efforts; this opportunity is truly one of a kind.”

“The opportunity for our STEM Capstone class to take part in the GAMA Design Challenge allows the students to see what it’s like to work with the theoretical science and the engineering involved in aviation,” said St. Croix Lutheran Academy High School Principal Richard Gibson. “The trip to Wipaire, Inc. allowed the students to see real life application of design and manufacturing. Thanks to GAMA for sponsoring this challenge. Because of the Lab Camp provided by Redbird Flight Simulations, St. Croix students will be able to continue to apply the skills they learned in the Aviation Design Challenge.

As a school, we are looking forward to the Flight Simulation STEM Lab Camp.”

“Introducing the younger generation to aviation and giving them hands-on access to it through initiatives like GAMA’s Aviation Design Challenge is an important investment into the future of the aviation industry,” said Phil Straub, Garmin executive vice president, managing director of aviation and GAMA chairman. “On behalf of the GAMA board and Garmin, we are delighted to be a part of a program that offers an inspirational and memorable experience for these deserving students that they’ll cherish for years to come.”

Click Bond, Inc. President and CEO Karl Hutter said, “Congratulations from Click Bond to the first place Design Challenge team from Harkness Career and Technical Center. We look forward to celebrating together in Arlington, working side-by-side with you in building the Glasair Sportsman 2+2, and introducing you to Click Bond’s technology as you learn new skills and experience the joy of bringing a real aircraft to life!”

“Congratulations to the students of St. Croix on this accomplishment,” said Redbird Flight Simulations President and COO Charlie Gregoire. “We are excited

PRESS RELEASE

to host this aviation STEM Lab for such bright and talented young people. There is no better platform to introduce and apply a broad range of STEM topics than aviation. The activities highlighted in this lab combined with the simulators will give these students a much richer understanding of what aviation has to offer and will start them down a path toward a rewarding and successful career.”

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“As a graduate of St. Croix Lutheran High School, I am delighted to see their team receive the Redbird STEM Lab prize in the GAMA Aviation Design Challenge,” said Wipaire President Chuck Wiplinger. “As a business leader/owner and GAMA board member, I couldn’t be happier to see local schools, and especially my alma mater, embrace STEM education and introduce students to aviation as a career opportunity. Congratulations to the team — what a great way and great time to get involved in aviation!”

“Congratulations to the Harkness Career and Technical Center team,” said Glasair Aviation President Nigel Mott. “Everyone at Glasair is looking forward to hosting the students and helping them build a Sportsman aircraft in just two weeks.”

The 2018 Aviation Design Challenge sponsoring companies are BBA Aviation, Boeing Global Services, Bombardier Business Aircraft, Bose, Cirrus Aircraft, Click Bond, Inc., Embraer, Garmin, GE Aviation, Glasair Aviation, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, Hartzell Propeller, Jet Aviation, Lycoming Engines, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Redbird Flight Simulations, Rockwell Collins and Textron Aviation. Sponsors provide round-trip airfare, hotels and meals for the first-place team as well as in-kind donations.

Learn more about the organizations involved in organizing the competition and plane build at GAMA.aero, glasairaviation. com, flytolearn.com and x-plane.com.

For additional information, please contact Sarah McCann, GAMA Director of Communications, at +1 (202) 637-1375 or smccann@gama.aero.

Ph: 813-752-3711 www.sensenich.com www.avinationusa.com

37

SUMMER IN THE SKIES

By Dean Damato Like most kids, I can’t wait until summer. You can’t beat racing to the ice cream truck, enjoying lazy days by the pool and making new friends at camp. My camp experience this year will be a little different, though.

While my friends are playing soccer or swimming in lakes, I’ll be living the life of a U.S. Navy aviator on a simulated aircraft carrier.

Before I talk more about that, I should probably tell you a little about myself. My name is Dean Damato and I’m a pretty normal 13-year-old. Some of my favorite things to do include playing baseball, hanging out with my younger brother, seeing movies and going into the city with my family.

I’m also obsessed with aviation. With my parents, it was probably inevitable. They’re both pilots – dad flies for the airlines and mom works in general aviation – so it won’t surprise you that airplanes have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. For example, one of my favorite early memories is having my fourth birthday party at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.

As I’ve grown up, I’ve been lucky enough to take part in more exciting aviation opportunities. Some of these are educational, like when mom brings me to her office on “Take Your Child to Work Day” to get an inside look at how business aviation operates throughout

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the country. Others are hands-on, like the “Aerospace 4 Kids” summer camp I’ve attended the last two years.

Camp really lets me dive into the world of aviation, and I love every minute! Through a bunch of awesome hands-on activities, including building model rockets, we get to learn about aerospace science, airplane instruments and navigation, and what goes into running an airport.

At the end of the week, we even get to go up in a Young Eagles flight with an experienced pilot. It’s hard to put into words how cool it was to see my home state from thousands of feet in the air.

The last two years of camp made me want to dive even deeper into aviation. So this year, I applied and got accepted to the National Flight Academy “Ambition” program in Pensacola, FL. It sounds like an airplane-lover’s dream – my campmates and I will be staying in a 100,000 square foot simulated aircraft carrier where we’ll work in teams to use STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills to accomplish

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FOR MORE INFORMATION Here are just a few places offering aviation education programs for middle and high school students: missions. We’re going to learn how real U.S. Navy aviators live and work, even using some of the same flight simulators they train on.

I can’t wait!

My life in aviation has been an adventure so far and I’m so excited to see where it goes from here. I’ve been lucky to have two parents who introduced me to aviation early and encouraged me to keep learning about it. But you don’t have to be in a flying family to take to the skies. From Young Eagles flights to the Civil Air Patrol, there are a lot of opportunities for young people to get involved with aviation from an early age.

Beyond how cool flying is (and it’s really cool), there are a lot of aerospace jobs that will need to be filled in the upcoming decades.

My generation still has a lot of fun summer days before we get to that point, but it’s exciting to know I can someday make a living doing what I love.

• EAA Flight Experiences: Young Eagles www.eaa.org • Civil Air Patrol Youth Program www.gocivilairpatrol.com • Women in Aviation’s Girls in Aviation Day www.wai.org/giad • NBAA Careers in Business Aviation Day www.nbaa.org/students • GAMA Aviation Design Challenge www.gama.aero

It’s crazy to think that human flight has only existed for about a hundred years. For all of human history, people have looked at the skies and wondered what it would be like to fly like birds. Well, now we know – and it’s as incredible as our ancestors probably imagined. Here’s to another exciting summer in the skies!

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CAREERS IN BUSINESS AVIATION DAY Let Your Future Take Flight!

Oct. 18, 2018 • Orlando, FL

Do you dream about working in aviation someday? Careers in Business Aviation Day has all you need to know about this exciting and rewarding career path!

NBAA invites middle school, high school and college students to a day of student-focused programming and opportunities, including access to more than 1,000 exhibitors and 100 aircraft on display.

Held in conjunction with NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), this event is free of charge for students and their school’s faculty and chaperones, but advance registration is required.

Learn more: www.nbaa.org/2018/career-day

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ADVERTORIAL

FLY8MA.com, a Free and Complete Online Private Pilot Ground School

By Jon Kotwicki So, how and where are you supposed to start your flight training, and how much is it going to cost you?

This is the everlasting question faced by anyone who has ever gazed skyward and had the dream of one day flying their own aircraft. Luckily, the guys at FLY8MA.com have an easy answer to that question now.

FLY8MA.com is the first complete Online Private Pilot Ground School where you can enroll for free on their website. The ground school is designed as the perfect place to begin your training, costing you nothing to sign up, and giving you the knowledge you need to be successful and safe once you begin your actual flight lessons. Most importantly, it will save you a lot of time and money.

The FLY8MA Ground School is made up of 20 lessons, and there are over 150 short videos with classroom and airplane footage to show you exactly what you can expect when you step into the airplane. The course was designed by Jon Kotwicki, a CFI that was working for the University of Michigan when he started flying as a hobby seven years ago. He became a Flight Instructor when he realized that there was a better and simpler way to explain some of the complex topics of flying to students. After refining his teaching techniques over thousands of hours of flight instruction, Jon has found a way to teach the basics of flying, aerodynamics, weather, and so on, all in the shortest and most clear manner possible.

Working as an airline pilot and actively flight instructing in his free time, Jon and the guys at FLY8MA.com set out to provide an easier pathway for anyone interested in becoming a private pilot. That is how the idea of FLY8MA got started.

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As a way to give back to the aviation community that has given them so much. Jon and the other instructors and pilots at FLY8MA have spent thousands of hours combined to build the best possible ground school out there, and still make it free for everyone. The Private Pilot Ground School has been open now for about six months, and currently has over 5,300 students enrolled.

With 4.9 out of 5 stars, all of the reviews of the course have been extremely positive, and every single student who has completed the course has also passed their Private Pilot Checkride on the first try!

“Since we’ve opened up the course, students have been emailing in and telling us how greatly it has helped them with their training, and how many of them would not have been able to get their start in aviation if they hadn’t found our course. Just hearing that from so many students has made all the work that we put into this course totally worth it.

When you know you are making a positive difference in students lives, making them better and safer pilots, then you know you’re doing your job as a Flight Instructor” -Jon K. You can sign up for the free Private Pilot Ground School at FLY8MA.com by clicking “Register” in the top right corner of the page.

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WHAT DOES IT TAKE?

By Jamie Helander Yes, what does it take to start a Youth Aviation Program? That is a good question, let me see if I can give you some ideas. There are three main things you need to start a program – FIRST IS LEADERSHIP. You need people that will lead your Youth Aviation Program. There are no prerequisites for this. A desire and a will to put together a program, is all that is needed. That leadership should also be able to attract mentors who have experience or a desire to help.

SECOND IS A FACILITY. It would be great if it is located at an airport, but that is not necessary either.

Just have a physical place to meet on a regular basis.

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THIRD IS FUNDING. As with any program, it will have financial needs.

Now, how do you organize your Youth Aviation Program? That can be done in many ways. Will it be an after-school program or an in-school program? Will it be an Aviation Explorer Post, involve an EAA Chapter or 4-H, or will it be a stand-alone program? There are many ways that it can be done. It just depends on what resources you have available to you. Involve STEM programs like Fly To Learn, which teaches the physics of flight and uses an X-Plane Flight simulator to test those new skills. Build a flight simulator out of PVC pipe for your kids as a start. Plans are available online for $15 at www.acesim.com/main.html

Will it be a kit build or a restoration program? Or have no build at all?

How do you fund your program? This is where you must become creative and resourceful. Funds may be gained through various fundraisers, individual contributors, private foundations, or community foundations. Look for gifts in kind as well. Get your local industry companies involved.

I would recommend that you write a mission statement that expresses the what and why of your program. Take time to do this because it will act as a guide for you and your members. It will also help you explain why you seek funds and will help to show your focus to people outside of your group.

I would also recommend that you form as a Non Profit Company with 501c(3) status. Doing this will attract donations as they will be tax deductible.

Network with other Youth Aviation Programs to see what they are doing and to trade ideas that will work for you both.

There are many, many ways to do it, just get started and you will find what suits you best. There are many groups on Facebook – friend them. Go to airshows and share your ideas there, you will be amazed at what you will find.

Most of all – HAVE FUN and BLUE SKIES!

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HELPING YOUR SCHOOL START AN AVIATION CLASS

By Cindy Hasselbring It’s back to school time for many students across the country! Here at AOPA, we are working with teachers this summer to prepare them to teach new AOPA ninth grade aviation STEM courses this fall at their school.

Approximately 80 high schools across the country will be teaching these classes; some of which are launching an aviation program for the first time. These courses are sure to excite students about aviation and aerospace through many hands-on activities, such as building a wind tunnel out of cardboard and testing foamboard airfoils, designing and launching tissue paper hot air balloons, designing a habitat for a marshmallow to survive the harsh environment of Mars, a.k.a. vacuum chamber, and much more! These courses are just the start of a four-year aviation STEM program AOPA is offering to high schools at no charge, thanks to donations to the AOPA Foundation. All teaching materials are provided – lesson plans, presentations, student activities, student assessments, teacher aids, and more.

One aspect of the curriculum that is especially important to students is a focus on college readiness and career readiness. Whether you are a senior or freshman in high school, it is never too early to start considering what your future options are. There are

many post-secondary options available to high school students beyond traditional routes into 2- and 4-year colleges and universities. While going to college is a great choice, the military, trade schools, and entering the work force also present great options for students.

I hear more and more often about employers desperate for workers out of high school, and, offering to pay their college tuition entirely, regardless of their choice for a major. This is great news for students!

If you are interested in helping your school start an aviation class for the 2019-20 school year, please let us know at hs@aopa.org. We all hope that you have a great school year! Blue skies!

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