Visiting RAF Aldergrove
Year 6 Mr Higgins class and some year 7 children were invited to RAF Aldergrove for a day learning all about flight. They also found out lots about engineering and had a wonderful time inside a helicopter and aeroplane, learning how all of the technology works!Many thanks to Fr Chris for the invite to the very educational day and to his team who taught the children so much and made the day very enjoyable. Below is the day in photographs!
We were taught the theory of flight by a pilot. He demonstrated the shape of a wing and how this shape helps us get planes and helicopters into the air!
Our theory lesson took place in the “flight briefing room!. The staff were very friendly! We were not allowed to leave any rubbish as this would become “FOD” which could end up in a plane engine!
One of the engineers showed us the similarities between how a car works and how a helicopter flies. The engine and drive shafts work the same….just create a force in a different direction. The engineer was very funny!
Mr Higgins was used to demonstrate what happens when the helicopter blades spins….he looked very funny in his flying goggles!!
One engineer taught us about the outside of the helicopter. We touched the rotor bades and found out how a helicopter deals with cold temperatures.
Another showed us how to operate the police camera which can zoom in for up to 2 and a half miles and can rotate a full 360 degrees. We all had a go!
Everyone got the chance to sit in the pilots seat and learn how to steer the helicopter and what each of the dials did. There will millions of those!
Inside the aeroplane we found out how pilots see in the clouds and land at night. We even noticed that there should always be 2 pilots flying any machine…..in case one gets sick!
Earphones in the pilots seat means that the pilot can talk to the people in the plane with him or her and they can also be used to talk to air-traffic control.