Benefits of Sending Your Child to Aviation Summer Camp

South Central – Are you considering sending your child to a summer camp? If you are, you might consider sending them to an aviation summer camp. Aviation summer camps can be stand-alone programs or part of STEM education events, which stands for science, technology, engineering and math.

At these camps, your child will learn math, science and critical thinking skills while having fun with their new friends. Aviation develops an understanding of math and its importance. Working in the aviation and aerospace fields requires an understanding of mass, balance, center of gravity (CG), flight planning and monitoring and general navigation. For example, pilots have to know the weight of the airplane and its center of gravity. These two things affect how the airplane flies. If the plane is too heavy, it will have a longer take-off roll, or it may not even be able to leave the ground. If the plane does take off, it could be harder to control – for instance, having a lower angle of climb or a higher stall speed.

Children in aviation camp will learn why these types of concepts are important in the real world and how to perform related mathematical calculations. Similarly, if your child struggles in physics, aviation camp may be just what they need. Aerodynamics and flight relies on Bernoulli’s Principle, which explains the forces of lift, drag, weight and thrust. These are essential for the flight of all aircraft, including planes, helicopters, drones, and even rocketships.

By attending an aviation summer camp, your child will also learn critical thinking skills. Aviation relies heavily on the ability of individuals and groups to make judgment calls based on various sets of data, including graphs and charts and formulas, to determine if it’s safe to fly. For pilots, this starts from the minute they walk up to the airplane because they have to visually inspect it for defects. They have to check the engine, systems and logbooks to determine if the airplane is safe and legal to fly. This is typically referred to as the go/no-go decision, and it’s the most important decision of the flight.

Let’s not forget, aviation camp is fun, entertaining, and intellectually stimulating. Your child will learn new things and be able to apply what they’ve learned via hands-on learning and games. They’ll also build confidence and self-esteem while being exposed to new ideas and technologies.

While summer 2023 is winding down, you can make plans for the 2024 season. Highly-regarded aviation camps can be found at the Lone Star Flight Museum in Texas, the Arkansas Air and Military Museum, the Wichita Aero Club, the Louisville Aviation Camp at Bowman Field, the Mississippi Aviation Museum, and the Sooner Flight Camp at the University of Oklahoma, as well as with many other aviation museums, universities and colleges.