It is estimated that in the next 15 – 24 months there will be a need for up to 22,500 workers in aviation and aerospace field. This number reflects the first wave of retirees in the aviation industry that totals 82,500. It is essential that we have trained people to fill these aviation-based positions. The Fort Vancouver National Trust is aspiring to fill this need by offering aviation summer camp sessions at Pearson Field for ages 8 through 17. The fast-paced aviation camp is held in one-week sessions that teach students all about the world of aviation and flight.
The curriculum will include the basics of aeronautics, which encompasses the four forces of flight, the three axes of flight, and Bernoulli’s principle. Students will spend time learning to fly using interactive flight simulator computers and programming. This will prepare them for the opportunity to try co-piloting and maneuvering a real airplane. In addition, students will be introduced to aero-modeling and will learn the skills necessary to build and take home proven flyers. Field trips include visits to an Academy of Model Aeronautics sanctioned field where they will fly radio-control airplanes, via the buddy-box system, with certified flight instructors. New to this year is a segment on model rocketry where students will build and launch a rocket.
The Trust’s new Pearson Field Education Center, at the epicenter of air operations on Pearson Field, is especially geared to teach aviation. This integrated environment comes complete with airplanes, aero-modeling tables, projection screen and aero-flight simulators. The instructors have real world experience in the fields of teaching and aviation and will prepare students for the world of flight.
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