Page 4 - Aerotech News and Review, July 6 2018

Junior test pilot program underway at Blackbird Airpark
by Linda KC Reynolds
staff writer
Students are having fun learning about science and crazy things that fly at Blackbird Airpark Museum in Palm- dale, Calif., during the Junior Test Pilot Program running June 11-July 19, Mon- day thru Thursday from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
STEM activities include: flight, stealth, altitude, MACH speed, payload, maneuverability, reconnaissance and jet engines.
“What I found interesting was that kids related so much to animals,” said Art Thompson, who was guest speaker during the stealth portion of the pro- gram. Thompson helped produce tech- nologies used on Northrop Grumman’s B-2 Stealth Bomber program and broke altitude records with the Red Bull Stra- tos program, developed by his company Sage Cheshire. “I like how they related to animals and how they use camouflage to blend into their environments and avoid detection.”
Following the stealth theme, some
Stephanie Creiger, an instructor at the Junior Test Pilot Program, introduces Art Thompson of Sage Cheshire. Thompson was the guest speaker for a lesson on stealth technology, during a free two-week summer camp at Blackbird Airpark. The program is running June 11-July 19, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Photographs by Linda KC Reynolds
kids drew a katydid as an example of camouflage, some drew polar bears as an example of insulation, and some drew ants as an example of noise reduction. They also made paper airplanes faceted to refract radar at different angles.
The learning activities are designed for elementary-age children, but all ages are welcome. Classes begin with a half
hour educational tour of the airpark, fol- lowed by a craft or experiment that per- tains to the days’ theme, then a lecture from an expert in the field.
Lulu Mercado has all three of her sons, ages 7 to 11, enrolled in the pro- gram. “I think it is very important to support children, especially when a pro- gram of this caliber is being offered,”
she said. She enjoyed watching her kids interact with other kids and the instruc- tors, and she says she also learns some- thing new every day. Kids earn mission stickers and patches.
For more information on this program, visit www.afftcmuseum. org/2018-blackbird-airpark-summer- jr-test-pilot.
Art Thompson of Sage Cheshire poses with kids and parents after a stealth technology session during the Jr. Test Pilot School summer program at Blackbird Airpark Museum in Palmdale, Calif. The free, two-week program is designed for elementary students, however all ages are welcome.
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July 6, 2018