Registration has opened for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) 2020 Aviation Design Challenge.
The Aviation Design Challenge is an annual competition to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in U.S. high schools through an aviation-focused curriculum and a virtual fly-off.
“This will be our eighth consecutive year hosting this life-changing competition,” said GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce. “As our industry’s workforce and talent needs continue to grow, this program remains a valuable tool in creating a pipeline for the future success of aviation and for paying it forward to the next generation to provide them with exciting, rewarding STEM skills and career opportunities.”
GAMA will provide the first 150 schools that register complimentary “Fly to Learn” curriculum that is developed in alignment with national STEM standards, along with free X-Plane flight simulator software.
Teachers will guide students through the principles of the science of flight and airplane design, completing the curricula in approximately six weeks in the classroom or in four weeks through an accelerated program.
The teams will then apply that knowledge to modify an airplane design and complete a mission in a virtual fly-off using the software, which GAMA judges will score based on application of what the team learned, and performance parameters.
The winning team will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to experience general aviation manufacturing first hand.
Since its inception in 2013, the competition has reached more than 3,000 students in more than 400 high schools, spanning 47 states and Washington, D.C. Because of the Aviation Design Challenge, several past winners and entrants are now pursuing careers in aviation, GAMA officials note.
To learn more about the competition or to register, visit the GAMA Aviation Design Challenge webpage.