Day 6/7 – Friday & Saturday, June 19/20, 2009 Graduation and Flight Home

On Friday morning, all of the campers had an early breakfast and then it was time to graduate!

Mr. Bob Gibson joined them once again to congratulate all of the students. The counselors awarded certificates and talked about the highlights of the week. Bob Gibson helped to give out the team awards, and our Intruders won the Spirit Award! In each team, there was a Top Gun Award given out, and our Emily Catania won! She received a patch to add to her flight suit for the award.

After the ceremony, the teams got to relax a little bit before we headed out to the airport. Despite warnings of bad weather, we decided to make the first part of the trip to Washington DC. On our way, we learned our flight to Chicago had been cancelled. The students had to spend the night in the airport while we worked out the details of getting home. We were able to get some rest in a hotel before heading back to the airport to try to get on a flight. We had to split up, but we were able to finally get home Saturday, much to the relief and happiness of the parents, students, and chaperones. Through everything, our students were WONDERFUL! Everyone was exhausted from the week at Aviation Challenge, but they followed directions and behaved really well. Even one of the United employees that was helping us told me how disciplined and polite they were.

I know we were all very happy to be home. I want to say a final thank you to all of our sponsors, but more importantly our students and parents. I had a wonderful time with the students, and I hope they had a great time too (I think they did though J ). Thank you to all of the parents for trusting us with your children and for teaching them such great manners and respect. They made the trip home that much better. Even though the situation was stressful, the fact that our students behaved helped out a lot. Thank you to everyone for a great week! Have a wonderful summer!!

Day 5 – Thursday, June 18, 2009

Thursday was yet another active day for our students.

Lightning started the day with an early breakfast and then it was time for another flight simulation where they had the introduction to their firing competition later in the day. Afterwards, they had a course on using a compass and then it was time for lunch.
The Intruders spent the morning doing a flight simulation as well. They started their Top Gun Tournament, where they competed for the coveted Top Gun Award. After the simulation, they had water survival rafting on the lake. Like Lightning, they had to rescue one another from the lake and learn how to survive in water in case of a crash.

After lunch, all of the students met up for a special treat. A guest speaker, Bob “Hoot” Gibson came to talk to all of the Aviation Challenge campers about his experiences. Mr. Gibson was a pilot for the Navy and even participated in the Vietnam War. Later in his life, he flew for NASA and participated in a few space missions. After working as a commercial pilot for some time, he has now retired and races planes as a hobby. He was a great example of hard work and determination for our students. He has accomplished much in his life and really showed a love of flying.

After the guest speaker, the students got to spend some money in the gift shop and then they went their separate ways.

The Intruders went to another simulation where they had a fire competition and then they had a round of Mach II Jeopardy. After a Drill & Ceremony competition it was time to prep for Seal Ops and then dinner.

After the gift shop, Lightning got to ride the Mars ride and then they had their Top Gun Tournament. Afterward they had a round of Jeopardy and then it was time for dinner too.
After dinner, the Intruders had a Seal Ops briefing and then participated in Seal Operations in Area 51. After talking about their experiences, they were ready for bed.

The Mach I Lightning team also had a special mission that night. They participated in Operation Blitzkrieg, where they had to go through the wilderness without being spotted by one of the team leaders. They got to climb through the mud and get nice and dirty too. After a long day, they were ready for bed too.

Day 4 - June 17, 2009

Day 4 was all about team building for our campers.

The Intruders started the day with breakfast at 7:30am and headed out for their Search and Rescue mission. After that it was time for their first simulation mission with the flight simulators. After lunch the Intruders got to take a ride on the Space Shot and then it was off to Area 51 for leadership training. In Area 51, they were split into teams and had to accomplish various missions as a team. One of the groups, Fire Power, had to figure out how to escape a POW camp with only 2 planks of wood in 15 minutes. The team members took turns being group leaders. We were able to visit during this time, and it was really cool to see the groups work as a team to accomplish a task. They had reflection time to talk about their experiences and what they had learned. After the leadership reaction course, they went off to learn to build fires and shelter in case of a plane crash. Later in the day it was time for their second simulated mission and then dinner. After dinner they learned some Air Combat History and then did another Land Survival mission where they had to procure food and water as if they had experienced a plane crash. Then it was lights out.

The Lightning Team also had some experience with team building today. The morning started with an early breakfast and then they were out on the lake again doing water survival. They had the chance to raft around the lake. One by one the camp counselor threw a member overboard (they were wearing life jackets of course) and the team had to figure out how to rescue them. They had to work as a team to guide the raft as well as rescue one another. After that they also had their first simulated mission and then they were able to go on some rides in the amusement park. After lunch they headed over for Squadron Patch and their second simulated mission. After dinner they learned how to build a fire in case of a plane crash and then did their Seal Ops. After another long and active day, it was time for lights out.

So far this week, we have been very proud of our students. They have all tried new things, even if they were afraid, and they have met a lot of new people. They have shined as leaders and been very respectful to all of their leaders. It has been great to see them grow so far, I can’t wait to see what else they do tomorrow.

Day 3 - Tuesday, June 16, 2009

After a full night’s rest, day 3 started with sunshine and some time in the lake for our Lightning team. Their first activity was Water Survival in the Helo Dunker and Lifter. They started by being dunked under water in something that looked a little bit like a Pringle can. It was supposed to replicate what might happen in the event of an emergency or crash in a fighter jet. After they were almost all the way submerged, they had to exit the craft one by one and swim to safety. In order to get out in a safe and orderly manner, they had to work as a team and help one another out of the “plane.” After practicing this a few times, they swam out to the middle of the lake to be “rescued.” One by one they were lifted up in a basket to simulate a helicopter rescue. A few of the students were afraid to try the Helo Dunker, but they all did it in the end and really enjoyed the exercise. For the chaperones, it was really fun to watch as well. Later in the day they did a flight simulation, where they flew as a team on a simulator and practiced Air to Air combat. Later they practiced building shelters out of parachutes and other supplies, another survival skill. Later they learned some history of air combat and practiced how to find food and water in the wilderness in the event of a crash. After a long day, it was time for lights out.

The Intruders also practiced Air to Air combat in the simulator and then worked on their water survival and drown proofing skills. Later on they were introduced to drill and ceremony. After dinner they got to go into the Centrifuge, which replicates the effects of 3Gs on the body. They got to really feel what it is like to fly in a fighter jet. After another flight simulation, it was time for lights out.

Day 3 was definitely an adventure for both groups. We are looking forward to see what else is in store for our campers.

Day 1/Day 2 – Departure and (Planned) Arrival in Huntsville

Day 1 started with very few problems. After a nice farewell to parents, we headed out to SPACE CAMP – AVIATION CHALLENGE. We arrived in the Washington DC Dulles airport only a few minutes behind schedule, but that’s when the trouble started. After an overbooked flight and another missed flight, we were told we would have to spend the night in DC. United Airlines took care of us. They set us up with rooms in the Hyatt Regency Crystal City hotel…just a shabby little place in the city J. They paid for a nice dinner in the hotel too. After a LONG day we headed up to bed. After a few hours rest, we were back on our way to the airport. After another delayed flight we finally got on an airplane at about 9 am Monday morning. We FINALLY arrived in Huntsville and luckily our luggage arrived before us. We met up with our counselors and the students headed over to the Space and Rocket Center to start their Aviation Challenge.

We are SO proud of our Time Out essay contest winners. They took each schedule change in stride and still managed to have a good time. We played games and learned about each other while we waited for updates. They were real troopers. I know they were tired and stressed out, but they were GREAT. THANK YOU! I want to give a special thanks to V-Tech too for keeping our kids busy with their “Cyber Spy Notebooks.” They were real life savers.

Once we got to the camp, the students didn’t have too much time to rest. They dropped their stuff out in the habitat and got to work. This year our students are doing a slightly different program – the Aviation Challenge, where they will get to learn how to be an Air Force pilot. They were divided into two teams – the younger ones are a part of Mach 1 and their team name is Lightning, the older students are a part of Mach 2 and they are the Intruders. After lunch, they began learning about how planes fly and how pilots do their job. Lightning even had the chance to try out a simulation and try flying as a team. They received call signs, which is their pilot name for communication during a flight.

They have a very active and fun week ahead of them. With Aviation Challenge, they will be doing team building exercises and leadership training through lots of outdoor activities. I know we are all very happy to finally be here, and we are looking forward to a great week. Thank you to our partners United Airlines, V Tech and National City as well as our parents and teachers for making this week possible. I know this week will be a great experience for our students, and they will grow and learn so much.