The University of Wisconsin-Superior’s Transportation and Logistics Research Center is hosting the fourth annual Aeronautics and Aerospace Camp for High School Girls August 5-7. The camp has grown since its inception, with registration full this year, plus a waiting list.
The camp is designed to teach high school girls about career opportunities for women in aeronautics and space. Participants will learn about the history of women in aviation and will have the opportunity to hear from professionals in aviation and aerospace as they attend local industry tours.
The event will begin with a pretest about various aspects of flight, rocket launching, drone flying, outer space and other information that the girls will learn throughout their three days.
During the first full day of camp, the girls will take a quiz to assess their knowledge about flight, rocket launching, drones, outer space and other aviation information. They will then learn about the basics of flying using flight simulators, learning how to read and use airplane controls and gaining an understanding of the physics of flying. They will perform takeoffs and landings, and will learn about conditions that impair flight ability, such as being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The day will wrap up at the UMD planetarium for presentations of “Her Story of Spaceflight,” and “From Earth to the Universe.”
The next day, campers will work together to build and launch bottle rockets, and will learn about drones — how they work, and how they are used for business purposes today. They will be taught safety protocols for drones and will get hands-on experience flying them.
Camp participants will also tour the Duluth International Airport, Lake Superior Helicopters, the Duluth International Airport control tower, Cirrus Aircraft, Monaco Air, Fly Duluth, AAR and the 148th Fighter Wing to learn about what each organization does and what career opportunities exist within them. The girls will get to ride in a Cirrus Aircraft and a Lake Superior Helicopter.
The camp is hosted by the UW-Superior’s Transportation & Logistics Research Center and funded through a special initiatives grant from the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program and the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, with support from Lake Superior Helicopters, the Duluth International Airport, Cirrus Aircraft, Monaco Air, Fly Duluth, AAR and the 148th Fighter Wing.
