Operation Panther Pride: FRES students visit airfield

By Nathan Pfau, Army Flier Staff WriterApril 23, 2015

Operation Panther Pride: FRES students visit airfield
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT RUCKER, Ala. (April 23, 2015) -- Fort Rucker Elementary School students learn about everything from science, math, English, writing, history and a whole host of subjects, but some students on Fort Rucker had the unique opportunity to learn about something not normally taught in schools happening right here on the installation -- Aviation.

About 75 students from Fort Rucker Elementary School had the chance to visit Lowe Army Heliport and the Goodhand Simulator Complex during Operation Panther Pride to get a glimpse of the Aviation training that goes on in their back yard.

"We recognized that the goals of the Aviation school and FRES were similar in equipping students and Aviators with the knowledge and critical thinking skills necessary to be successful in real-world situations," said Kristen Satterfield, fourth grade teacher. "Also, many of our students have at least one parent who has sat in the classrooms, simulators and cockpits at Rucker to begin their career as an Aviator. We thought we could use the common goals of the school of Aviation and FRES, as well as the students' connection to the world of Aviation, to engage the students in a learning experience beyond that we could have created in the classroom."

The purpose of the trip was to create and maintain a working partnership between the schools that train future leaders and future Aviators, said Satterfield. The students got the opportunity to receive some training in simulator operations at the simulator complex, as well as receive lessons on weather operations.

Following the simulator complex, the students made the trip over to Lowe field to receive classes on fire safety from the Lowe Fire Department; participate in a MEDEVAC demonstration from Staff Sgt. Julia Stalker, an Army medic with the U.S. Army School of Aviation Medicine; and even get behind the controls of an actual UH-60 Black Hawk during a static display where they learned about the different components of the aircraft.

"We requested a trip to the simulator so the students could learn about the weather from the perspective of an Aviator, and the technology and engineering utilized in helicopters and training equipment for those Aviators," said Satterfield. "We never expected that this would go from a field trip request to a developed mission in which our partners (Aviation school) became as enthused about the education of our students as they are about the training of future Aviators."

The lessons went hand-in-hand with the lessons the students were learning in class, so it was a good opportunity for the children to see how the things they learn in the classroom can be applied to real-world situations, said the fourth grade teacher.

"Although we could have taken the traditional approach and invited a meteorologist to visit the class and talk to the students about weather, we knew that it would be more engaging to learn about weather from the Aviator's perspective and use the weather experts that they depend on for information daily," she said. "They were able to participate in simple experiments that assisted them in gaining a deeper understanding of weather conditions and weather instruments, and they were also able to learn how weather conditions, safety concerns and severe weather impact the flight of an Aviator."

While in each simulator, an instructor pilot was on hand to teach one student to fly the helicopter while other students were learning how to use the simulator controls to create different environmental conditions, such as rain, wind, daylight or dusk for the simulator flight in progress, said Satterfield. Both flying and "creating the weather" prompted students to ask questions, analyze, and learn about weather conditions and safety concerns, as well as understand the importance of gaining applicable knowledge in these areas.

Knowledge that students like Gabriel Davie won't soon forget.

"I liked going to the simulator complex because when I flew, I got to look at the monitor to understand air pressure," said Davie. "I learned how to use the cyclic and the collective in order to fly in different weather conditions."

Not only was the trip essential to the lessons the students were learning in class, but the trip was a great way for the students to learn about the community that they live in.

"Military students on post live in an extremely unique community," said the teacher. "Like any other community, it's important that they learn about the characteristics that make the community unique. Also, it is essential that the students understand that people within a community must work together to achieve goals, such as raising future leaders.

Satterfield said it's helpful for students to learn to view members of their community as valuable learning resources who are to be respected for their unique contribution.

"If children don't see people within their community working together, then they don't understand why learning to collaborate and cooperate for common goals is important," she said. "We need to help these students see the awesome learning opportunities that surround them each and every day, and part of that is teaching them to take pride in their own, unique community."

After the trip, many of the students felt plenty of pride for the community in which they live, and many expressed their excitement for what goes on right here on Fort Rucker that many of their own family members take part in.

"The field trip was a great learning experience," said Ava Riddle, FRES student whose father is an Aviator. "We learned what the instruments did in the Black Hawk. When my dad talked to me about it at dinner in the past, it sounded confusing and when I first looked at it, it looked confusing. But once I started to fly it in the simulator it made more sense, and it wasn't as confusing. Even though I felt a little sick from all the motion, it was really cool!"

"My favorite part was the simulator because it felt like you were in a real helicopter," added fellow student Cate Danley. "It was cool to see that the technology helped you to have the feeling of flying without being in danger. I thought the weather was cool because we got to try different experiments. We had to blow a paper into a bottle, which helped me to understand how air travels and causes resistance -- Aviators have to learn a lot about this. It was a great experience."

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