American Flyers in Scottsdale, Arizona was able to spend the day with Northwest Christian’s physics class. Every year, our goal is to inspire students in aviation and we are proud to say that this was our second year in a row hosting this field trip. During this field-trip, a team of instructors was able to show these young minds what flying is all about.
The day started off with a very competitive paper airplane competition. Instructor Kyle Helmke gave a detailed presentation on the four forces of flight— lift, thrust, drag, and weight—all of which are important components to keep in mind when constructing the perfect paper airplane. The students were challenged to make their paper airplane in the most aerodynamic way possible and they were able to take flight in our hangar. Some paper airplanes had hole punches in them and some had paper clips on their wings and tails. After a winner was announced, the students were able to get into our simulator bay to receive additional aviation knowledge from our flight instructors.
The day ended with every student taking a victory lap in the simulator. This action-packed field trip is one that we hope continues every year because there is no better feeling than getting students excited about aviation. Who knows, our field trips may lead to many future pilots!