Avon’s New Course In Aerospace Engineering Takes Off

It’s a great day in the classroom when a lesson is cool enough to put on Snapchat: Landing RC airplanes on the baseball field; 3D printing an airfoil and testing its flight capacity in a wind tunnel; Getting one-on-one time with an airport manager from Bradley International Airport. And that’s exactly what’s happening at Avon Old Farms School, thanks to the new course Aerospace Engineering.

"When we were looking to add a new course to our list of current offerings, it was a combination of looking at what staff we had available, what their expertise is in, and what we thought would be interesting to our students," said Beth McCubbin, an engineering teacher at Avon Old Farms. "A course in Aerospace Engineering seemed to be the perfect fit."

In the year-long science course, students are progressing through four units of study: Introduction to Aerospace, Aerospace Design, Propulsion, and Alternative Applications. That translates into a variety of hands-on learning, including practicing on flight simulators using special software and game controller joysticks; designing airfoils to study fluid mechanics; learning about propulsion through flying model rockets; and even designing airplane components and creating them with the help of a 3D printer. Students are learning basic orbital mechanics using industry-standard software, and will even explore robot systems through projects such as remotely operated vehicles.

In addition to flying RC planes and testing their own airfoil designs, students are looking forward to creating their own gliders and will even have the opportunity to co-pilot a plane at Robertson Airport.

"While I was in my own college career I had the opportunity to touch upon a lot of what this class will introduce to our boys, which I think will help me bring this course to life," said McCubbin.

McCubbin attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where she received a B.S. in Engineering Physics and minors in Mathematics and Meteorology in 2009. After college, McCubbin joined the Department of Space at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory to research the upper atmosphere and ionosphere. She continued her research at Dartmouth College, where she earned an M.S. in Engineering Science in 2012. To prepare for teaching this new Aerospace Engineering class, McCubbin returned to Embry-Riddle for a two-week core training course taught by Project Lead The Way, an American not-for-profit organization that develops STEM curricula.

McCubbin shared that the most rewarding part of this new class has been to hear so many students ask, What if?

“It means they’re thinking outside of the box and letting their minds explore the possibilities,” she said. “That’s what learning is all about. Some have even inquired about getting a pilot’s license.”

To learn more about this course, other offerings, and what Avon Old Farms School has to offer your son, visit our campus on Saturday, November 11, for our Fall Open House. Families can RSVP online at www.avonoldfarms.com/openhouse.