ELEMENTARY FLIGHT SIMULATOR PROGRAM
2007/2008 PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Program Director: Dr. Stephanie Wright,
State Director, Aerospace Education

Overview
Although many elementary school teachers would like to include the Principles of Flight, in their classroom curriculum, research has shown that they are lacking the time, resources and climate needed to establish a quality, applied learning aviation program.

The primary goal of the Flight Simulator Program is to reduce and in some instances eliminate those barriers thus enabling an experienced group of elementary teachers from elementary schools in Delaware (Brader, Brittingham, Heritage, North Laurel, North Dover, North Georgetown, Rehoboth and West Park Place) to utilize Aviation as part of their long term, inquiry science, technology and career instruction.  The Elementary Flight Simulator Program will launch Delaware schools in numerous school districts and approximately 2,500 students into an on-going, cooperative, investigative experience throughout the 2007 – 2008 school year.

Program Description
The Elementary Flight Simulators were built by retired Boeing employees and donated to the Delaware AeroSpace Education Foundation (DASEF) in 1994 and 1998. The primary goal of the program is to provide educators and their students with a quality, multi-disciplinary program for teaching and integrating the scientific process skills, careers, history of flight and transportation, engineering skills and the principles of flight. This will be achieved through the use of the elementary Flight Simulator and Hartel Trainer Program and the implementation of the accompanying curriculum materials.

All participating educators are required to take an Aviation Workshop. Applied learning tasks, experiments and assessments, designed and implemented by the educators, are required to reflect the state standards. Continuous contact with the lead teachers, scheduling, inservice sessions and visitations are coordinated by the state director of Aerospace Education, Dr. Stephanie Wright and are essential to the implementation and continuation of this innovative program. (See website for Standards Based Activities)

The educators involved will be expected to implement the Elementary Flight Simulator Program using scientific process skills and their increased knowledge of aviation. The participating teachers, particularly the lead teachers, will be responsible for working with new Aviation teachers and for input into the design and development of upcoming, statewide, interactive, aviation projects and standards for Elementary Flight Simulator use.

Elementary Flight Simulator Description
The simulator gives educators and their students a very real simulation of an actual flight. As they move the control stick and use the rudder pedals, the simulator moves. It climbs, dives, rolls to either side, and yaws left and right, in response to the actions of the pilot. The simulator has control surfaces, like a real plane, which move as different maneuvers are performed. There is a vacuum powered instrument panel. The students can see the effects of his or her control actions reflected in changes on this panel. Following the integrated, applied learning tasks and training sessions on the 10 Hartel Trainers, also supplied by DASEF, teams of students will be given time for a flight. The Aviation Program is supported by the Boeing Company, Hercules, ICI, Dupont, Delaware Space Grant Consortium and the Delaware AeroSpace Education Foundation.

Follow-Up
The educators involved will be expected to implement the Elementary Flight Simulator Program using scientific process skills and their increased knowledge of aviation. The participating teachers, particularly the lead teachers, will be responsible for working with new Aviation teachers and for input into the design and development of upcoming, statewide, interactive, aviation projects and standards for Elementary Flight Simulator use.