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What Do You Want to Fly?
Pilots are in the cockpits of space vehicles, military planes, blimps, and water planes. While their job titles might be the same, commercial-airline pilots have extremely different careers from space-shuttle pilots. If you decide to pursue a career in flight, you’ll have to decide which type of aircraft you want to control! Learn more about the many different air machines that exist today.

SPACE SHUTTLE:
Today’s U.S. space program is built around the space shuttle, the world’s first reusable spacecraft. The shuttle launches like a rocket, maneuvers in Earth’s orbit like a spacecraft, and lands like an airplane. Each of our three orbiters – Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour – was designed to fly at least 100 missions.

COMMERCIAL JET:
The commercial jet has revolutionized every aspect of modern day life. Passengers can travel to places around the world and cargo can be delivered in record time. In 2001, 622 million passengers boarded 8.8 million U.S. airline flights and billions of tons of cargo were flown to all points of the globe.

STEALTH BOMBER:
If you become a member of the U.S. Air Force, you might have the opportunity to fly the B-2 Spirit, commonly known as the Stealth Bomber. When it was build in the early 1980s, it was considered a dramatic leap forward in aviation technology. The B-2 bomber can bring massive firepower and defense anywhere in the world in a short time.

HELICOPTER:
Helicopters are arguably one of the most versatile and vital air vehicles. They transport world leaders and the critically wounded; they fight forest fires and rescue people trapped in burning buildings; they can deliver cargo to areas that no other vehicle can reach. Helicopters are powered by rotors that cut into the air and produce lift, so they can take off and land “on a dime”, without needing a lot of space to gain speed.

FIRE-FIGHTING PLANE:
Each summer, wildfires rage across North America. These fires can destroy the homes of thousands of people and animals. New technologies, however, allow airplanes to work as flying fire-fighters. These planes are equipped to store and then drop thousands of gallons of water and fire-retardant chemicals onto the flames. Without these planes, some wildfires would be virtually unstoppable.

SINGLE-ENGINE PLANE:
Single engine planes can usually carry up to four people. They can land on smaller airstrips than traditional jetliners and are fast and maneuverable. Smaller planes are often used for flights to and from remote locations that don’t have full-sized airports.

SKYWRITING AIRPLANE:
Skywriting airplanes are single-engine planes that are designed to release controlled plumes of smoke. The released smoke creates messages in the sky that can be seen for about twenty miles in all directions. Depending on weather conditions, the letters stay in the sky for ten to twenty minutes. Skywriting pilots are usually hired to advertise events and products.

AIR FORCE ONE:
“Air Force One” is the term used for any aircraft that is carrying the President of the United States. There are currently two modified Boeing 747 aircraft that fly as “Air Force One.” These planes have enhanced gas tanks that allow the plane to fly halfway around the world before refueling. To become an “Air Force One” pilot, you must pass rigorous security clearances and prove to be a superior pilot.

INFLIGHT AIRCRAFT REFUELER:
Inflight aircraft refuelers are designed to deliver gasoline to jet fighters, helicopters and other technical aircraft while they are still in the air. For years, the U.S. air force was faced with a problem – their highly technical jets couldn’t store enough fuel to complete long-range missions. The inflight refueler was designed to refuel these important planes mid-flight. The refueler depends on precise computer mapping to link it with a smaller aircraft and deliver a new load of fuel.

AIRSHIPS:
Airships (commonly referred to as blimps) were first flown in 1852. They rely on helium, a gas that is lighter than air, to stay afloat. The helium expands and contracts to control the altitude of the craft. Not only are these blimps fun to watch as they float past sporting events, concerts and crowded beaches, but they have many practical uses as well. Blimps can remain aloft for up to 24 hours and the largest are capable of carrying loads as heavy as 500 tons. They are used for both military and civilian purposes.

Preparing For Take-Off

• Becoming a pilot is a long, demanding process that requires commitment and focus. Learn about how you can start to prepare yourself for this career.
• Pay attention in your math and science classes. All pilots need to be comfortable with mathematics to perform complicated calibrations and formulas during takeoff, flight and landing.
• Become comfortable with different types of computer programs and languages. Today’s pilots depend on high-tech computers for all aspects of flight and flight preparation. It is especially important to learn how to troubleshoot potential computer problems.
• Study the evolution of aircraft. All current flying machines have evolved in some way from historical machines. Read books on the history of aircraft, and visit air and space museums to study how these machines have become more streamlined and efficient over time.
• Familiarize yourself with the fundamental principles of flight. There are several basic principles that govern flight no matter what type of aircraft you pilot. You can find these principles on websites about physics and in physics textbooks.
• Stay fit and healthy. Pilots who fly for NASA or the air force are required to be in top physical condition. They are expected to react quickly and appropriately in any emergency situation. Practice cardiovascular activities such as jogging, jumping rope, brisk walking, or swimming.
• Talk to pilots on commercial airlines and members of the Air Force. They are usually more than happy to share with you their excitement for flying and the challenges of this career.
• Use these search terms to find great websites to help you discover more: AVIATION FOR KIDS, AIRPLANES FOR KIDS, WRIGHT BROTHERS

Testing Bernoulli’s Principle

Background:
The history of human flight is one of trial and error. The Wright Brothers created several airplane designs that failed before they finally put all of the correct elements together. Over time, physicists and other scientists have defined and studied the fundamental rules of motion, flight, lift, and propulsion. Engineers rely on these rules to create working aircraft. The rule that defines “lift” is Bernoulli’s Principle. This principle can be used to explain how airplane wings create an upward force, how birds fly, and why curve balls curve.

In this activity, you’ll do an experiment that helps to illustrate Bernoulli’s principle in a simple fashion.

Materials Needed:

• Wooden dowel
• Thread
• Masking tape
• Two ping pong balls (or styrofoam balls about the same size as ping pong balls)
• A friend

What to Do

1. Cut two pieces of thread of equal length.
2. Tape the end of one thread to one of the balls and the end of the other thread to a second ball.
3. Tape the loose ends of the two threads to the dowel so that if you hold the dowel parallel to the floor, the two balls hang about 1/2 inch apart and at exactly the same height.
4. Ask your friend to hold the dowel parallel to the floor. Blow through the space between the two balls.
5. Observe what happens to the balls. Do they move towards each other or away from one another? Is that what you expected?
6. To understand the outcome of this experiment, search the Internet for “Bernoulli’s Principle” or research this rule in your local library.

Q. What types of missions do you fly?

Capt. Tim Lambert, a co-pilot in the U.S. Air Force, says:.

There are two different types of missions that we fly in the C-130. One is a “pro-line,” or pilot proficiency flight, where we practice takeoffs, landings and other pilot skills. The second is a “tac-line,” or tactical flight. We usually fly those in formation with other C-130s.

If we’re flying a pro-line mission, I have to be at the squadron a little more than two hours before takeoff. We have a crew briefing, then the pilot, navigator, and I go to base ops (base operations) to do the flight planning, which takes about an hour. We check the weather, submit the flight plan, and check the NOTAM’s (NOTices to AirMen), which are advisories regarding the conditions at the airfields we may be using during our mission.

For a tac-line mission, I have a “show” time, or report time, of five hours prior to takeoff. We will do about an hour and a half mission planning, then have a formation briefing for all the aircrews in all the planes in the formation. We break into individual crews after that, with the officers doing some final route studies and the enlisted members pre-flighting the plane.

Then we head out to the plane to do checklists and prepare to fly. Most of our tac-lines are low-level flights where we drop pallets or parachutists to various drop zones. These pallets can be loaded with supplies or equipment. A lot of our drops are in support of the Army.

I like flying. At the Academy, I flew gliders and the T-41, a training plane similar to the Cessna 152. At undergraduate pilot training (UPT), I flew the T-37, T-38 and T-1 trainers. Now I’m flying the C-130. If I could do it all over again, flying would still be my top career choice!