SAFE Announces Annual Grants for K–12 Teachers
The Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) recently announced a $250 grant program for K–12 teachers to incorporate aviation- and aerospace-themed lessons into their curriculum. The annual grant program is to be used to generate enthusiasm for aviation topics. Among other uses, grants could pay for field trips to tour an aviation museum or local airport, purchase materials for aviation-themed projects, or develop aviation teaching units.
According to SAFE Executive Director Doug Stewart, “Aviation and aerospace topics are the perfect adjunct for teaching science, math, history, and even art.” He added, “This grant program is open to any credentialed teacher (or group of teachers) in a public, private, or charter school, as well as to local STEM coordinators and homeschooling cooperatives.” The application deadline for this year is August 31, 2013, and grants must be used within one year of award.
A 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, SAFE represents more than 700 of the industry's top aviation educators, including the majority of Master Instructors as well as numerous local, regional, and national General Aviation Awards winners.
Liberty School of Aeronautics signs agreement with American Eagle
A recent agreement with American Eagle Airlines, Inc. will give graduates of Liberty University’s School of Aeronautics more opportunities to launch their careers in the commercial airline industry.
Under the new agreement, the company will hire Liberty’s qualified graduates — those who meet requirements ranging from grade-point average in aviation courses to accumulated flight time — for its Pilot Pipeline Program.
“The program helps ensure we have the airline-qualified pilots we need for the future and eases the transition from school to the airline for program participants,” said Nicholas Alford, AEA’s manager of pilot recruitment. “The participation of schools such as Liberty in our program is a win-win for both us and graduates looking for careers as commercial pilots.”
Louisiana Aviation Section announces Aviation Career Education Camp program set for July
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development’s (DOTD) Aviation Section has announced the dates for the Louisiana Aviation Career Education (ACE) Camp Program. DOTD Aviation, in partnership with LaAviator.com, Louisiana Airport Managers & Associates (LAMA) and Louisiana Airports, will co-sponsor four week-long camps (one each in Baton Rouge, Gonzales, Monroe and Natchitoches) that are aimed at high school students between the ages of 15 and 18 considering a career in aviation.
During the course of the week, participants will be introduced to a wide variety of aviation career opportunities, from commercial pilot to airport management. They will participate in hands-on activities related to various aviation topics, such as power plants, flight instruments, airports, flight safety, aeronautical charts, airspace, pilot math, and leadership training. The content of the material presented will focus on four major components: airplane and aviator, airport environment, weather environment, and airport design.
The camp hours are Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. – noon. The camp fee is $200 per participant, with a maximum of 15 participants. DOTD’s Aviation section provides sponsorship opportunities with the submittal of an essay on a current aviation topic. Essays must be submitted by June 17, 2013, and the recipient of sponsorship will be notified by mail no later than June 24, 2013.
Santa Barbara Airport Hosts 15th Annual Future Flyers ‘Fly-off’
The 15th annual Future Flyers "fly-off," an aviation education outreach program of the Santa Barbara Airport, recently hosted the contest, which was open to sixth graders from the Santa Barbara and Goleta School Districts who had participated in the Future Flyers Education Program for GATE students at the Airport.
The winners of the Wings of Triumph trophy were Jasmine Papias, Anjali Thakrar and Amanda Jo Soderman from Isla Vista Elementary School in Goleta, California. The girls designed and successfully flew an aircraft they called "Dauntless," at an altitude of 20 feet and for a distance of 77 feet. The GATE teacher who headed up the project was Krista Lucchi. The competition pitted teams of areas students against each other in a challenge to see who could design, build and competitively fly the best balsa wood homemade airplane. Judges for this event were members of the Santa Barbara Radio Control Modelers Club.
Future Flyers is an Aviation Education Outreach Program available to all local sixth grade GATE students and is taught by Tim Lawton, Education Liaison for the Santa Barbara Airport. For more information or questions about the next Future Flyers program call Tim Lawton at 805 964- 7622 or go to Flysba.com.
New Mexico 2013 International Aviation Art Contest Winners
This past February, the New Mexico Aviation Division staff and a special guest convened in Albuquerque to judge the New Mexico entries in the 2013 International Aviation Art Contest. The theme for this year was “My Favorite Air Sport ”. As always, the Division staff was very impressed with the creativity and talent of our young artists. We received 250 entries from 21 schools around the State. After several rounds of judging in each category, we selected our nine New Mexico winners and one honorable mention.
These students were honored at a luncheon sponsored by the Aviation Division on Saturday, May 4th. In addition, the students, families and teachers were able to tour Aspen Avionics and Albuquerque Air Traffic Control Tower.
Our State winners’ artwork was sent to the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. to compete in the National Competition.
We received word that Derek Gonzales won 3rd place in the intermediate category, and his artwork was sent to the International Competition in Switzerland!
EAA’S WOMEN SOAR YOU SOAR to INSPIRE YOUNG WOMEN DURING AIRVENTURE’S FINAL WEEKEND
Young women will be inspired to reach for their aviation dreams as Women Soar You Soar, a four-day mentoring camp featuring inspirational women aviators, returns for its eighth year in conjunction with EAA AirVenture 2013.
Women Soar You Soar, scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 1, through Sunday, Aug. 4, will introduce 100 young women to aviation-based careers and a women-mentor network, providing encouragement and support to possible careers in aviation. Participants will get involved in a variety of activities, including flight simulation, workshops, wing rib assembly, and mentor sessions.
The program is available to young women entering grades nine through 12 in fall 2013. During the first seven years of the program, hundreds of teenage girls have benefited from the experiences and guidance of women actively involved in the world of flight.
Omaha Educators Gain New Perspective
A pair of Omaha educators recently gained a new perspective on the subject they teach, courtesy of Civil Air Patrol’s Teacher Orientation Program and Maj. Tom Pflug, the Omaha Composite Squadron’s aerospace education officer.
LeeAnn Vaughan (left) and Deanna Moisset await takeoff. (Photo by Maj. Tom Pflug
Pflug provided LeeAnn Vaughan and Deanna Moisset with an orientation flight as part of the TOP Flights program, designed to provide educators with a hands-on flight experience that will enhance their classroom presentations on aerospace education.
Moisset and Vaughan lead the Aviation Mini-Magnet/Flight Academy at Harry A. Burke High School. Vaughan is the lead educator in the Mini-Magnet program, while Moisset is the curriculum specialist. Both are CAP aerospace education members and are exploring the feasibility of forming a CAP squadron in support of the school’s flight academy.
U.S. Students Make Strong Showing in International Art Contest
Two U.S. students are among the nine winners of the 2013 International Art Contest for young people
Chelsey Wen, Texas
sanctioned by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) and the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). In the U.S., the contest is managed by the Center for Aviation Research & Education, the non-profit arm of the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO). The art contest is designed to motivate and encourage young people of FAI member nations to become familiar with and participate in aeronautics, engineering and science. The winners were chosen during FAI's April meeting in Switzerland.
Sky Waters, from Minnesota and Chelsey Wen, from Texas, were praised by state aviation officials from their home states. "We at TxDOT Aviation were delighted to learn that one of our own was named as a winner in the International Art Contest," said David S. Fulton, Director. "The art contest is a great way to encourage young men and women to consider aviation as a career."
Sky Waters, Minnesota
Cassandra Isackson, Director of Aeronautics for the Minnesota Department of Transportation echoed Mr. Fulton's statement. "What a great way to inspire young minds to spend time contemplating the science and beauty of aviation. We're especially proud of Minnesota's own Sky Waters and pleased that Sky's wonderful work will be shared with so many people."
Aeronautics Commission Honors Oklahoma Student for 2nd Place Finish in National Aviation Art Contest
The Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission on Thursday officially recognized Newalla third grader Thomas Buchanan for finishing second in the 2013 National Aviation Art Contest. He is the first Oklahoman to place at the national level since 1994.
Thomas Buchanan, center, of Newalla, poses with Director of Aeronautics Victor Bird, left, and Dr. David Conway, chairman of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, after being recognized by the Commission on May 9, 2013, for taking second in the National Aviation Art Contest.
Buchanan, who attends Clara Reynolds Elementary School in Harrah, recently won first place in Oklahoma’s Aviation Art Contest in the Junior category (ages 6-9) and advanced to nationals along with eight other young artists from Oklahoma. He was the lone Oklahoman to place at the national level.
Buchanan, who is the son of Clay and Jaretta Buchanan of Newalla, has been a regular in Oklahoma’s aviation art contest over the past four years, taking first place in 2012 and 2011 and finishing in second place in 2010.
“With Oklahoma not having a student place at nationals in almost 20 years, it clearly shows just how wonderful a job Thomas did on his artwork this year,” Director of Aeronautics Victor Bird said. “He has a bright future ahead of him, and let’s hope this contest will be a catalyst for him and other participants to choose aviation as a career choice because our state’s aerospace industry must continue to grow and prosper.”
Design Challenge Pact Expands Embry-Riddle’s STEM Outreach
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is partnering with the Aerospace States Association in support of the Real World Design Challenge (RWDC), an annual high school competition aimed at increasing the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce.
Embry-Riddle will award up to seven $50,000 scholarships – $12,500 annually per student – to winners of the national competition who attend the university, and its professors will serve as mentors to high school teams and as judges in future national-level challenges
The agreement, starting with the competition in 2014, expands Embry-Riddle’s continuing efforts to encourage young people to pursue technical careers.
Embry-Riddle is the only university formal partner in the competition in which teams of high school students and their teachers try to solve an engineering challenge faced by industry, one in aviation and one in ground transportation. Students first compete in a state-level Governor’s Cup and then each state’s best team competes in the national finals in Washington DC.
“Through this partnership we plan on making the Real World Design Challenge opportunity available to all secondary students in the United States. Embry-Riddle is critical in helping us achieve this goal,” said Ralph K. Coppola, founder of Real World Design Challenge and president of RKC International. “Embry-Riddle’s expertise in aviation will better help us prepare students for careers in this critical area.”
“Having been a national blue ribbon judge since the first Real World Design Challenge, I know that these students are awesome. With guidance from teachers and mentors, they take an actual design issue from concept to an engineering solution,” said Bob Mansfield, executive director of the Center for Aviation and Aerospace Leadership at Embry-Riddle. “This sponsorship gives hundreds of high school students who want to be in the aerospace industry a chance to participate in the RWDC, learn about our exceptional university and have access to our faculty as mentors.”
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Recent Posts
- SAFE Announces Annual Grants for K–12 Teachers
- Liberty School of Aeronautics signs agreement with American Eagle
- Louisiana Aviation Section announces Aviation Career Education Camp program set for July
- Santa Barbara Airport Hosts 15th Annual Future Flyers ‘Fly-off’
- New Mexico 2013 International Aviation Art Contest Winners
