The crown jewel of all aviation and space simulation camps is Space Camp. The advent of sophisticated flight simulators allows the folks who run the U. S. Space and Rocket Center, which has Space Camps in Florida, Alabama, and California, to mirror its "outer space" simulation experiences with a military aviation simulation experience called Aviation Challenge. Let me make it clear, Aviation Challenge is far more than a room full of PCs running Microsoft Flight Simulator.
"We have a number of static displays including a MIG 17, F-4, and F-14 that we use to allow the kids to touch the real thing," says John Raiford, director of the company's Huntsville, Alabama, program. "We're currently working on augmenting our display with an F-16 Fighting Falcon for next summer."
This program isn't about sitting in a way-cool cockpit static display humming engine sounds to yourself, though. Inside the complex at One Tranquility Way, campers have the opportunity to strap into simulators with price tags pushing $100,000 apiece. There they learn the basics of "Dogfighting 101." Once that is mastered, these budding pilots brief for missions that include everything from a raucous ride into enemy territory to a tactical encounter and an emergency cockpit egress. Outside the mission, fun continues as the kids and their mostly retired Army drill instructor leaders hang from a parachute zip line and simulate a parachute drop into hostile territory (the lake). Once in the lake, these midget Navy lieutenants are forced to inflate their life rafts and climb aboard, then paddle over to the helo tower, where they are plucked from danger in a simulation of a helo rescue at sea. (Yep, these guys even have a giant fan to churn up the water while you are being lifted to "safety.")
If that's not enough, campers are divided into "good guys" and "bad guys" for a little E (escape and evasion) fun in the woods surrounding the lake. It is all part of Aviation Challenge's five-day summer program, says Raiford. "Role-playing scenarios are so popular with children these days, so we thought we'd tie the whole Aviation Challenge experience together with a real-world experience," he says. Even with all the fun, the counselors at Aviation Challenge don't cheat kids on education. "They get the advanced flight simulation and a lot of systems training," says Raiford, "along with that zip-line drop in the lake and even a helo dunker experience. But what they really get in five days is some great exposure to the professionalism and pride I found in my 29-year career in the military. That's something we try to instill in each camper." The survival training is realistic enough to earn the Boy Scouts of America seal of approval, so those who participate can earn an Aviation merit badge along with partial requirements for the Fire Safety, First Aid, and Wilderness Survival merit badges.
For those of you who can't come in under the cutoff ages for the summer program, the center offers weekend parent/child programs during the year and even adult missions. You probably won't get any closer to military aviation without having to join up. Missions cost between $350 and $899, depending on the program selected. The Aviation Challenge programs are exclusive to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center's Alabama and California sites.
If being outside in the woods in the middle of an Alabama summer doesn't sound like a party to you, you'll be happy to hear that Space Camp programs take place almost exclusively inside during the summer months. Space Campers and Challenge participants have the opportunity to mingle at mealtime. The Space Camp program also uses sophisticated computer simulation and lifelike mission-based training scenarios to rocket kids past any hang-ups they might have about learning the math, physics, and life sciences that astronauts use on a daily basis to perform their jobs. Space Camp offers summer missions for campers in age groups 9 to 11, 12 to 14, and 15 to 18, as well as adult/child weekends for children as young as 7 years old. For adults, there are weekend and five-day programs (the five-day program includes scuba training in the underwater astronaut trainer), as well as specially designed corporate programs and educator programs. Again, the costs are as much as $899 for each participant.
Raiford is quick to emphasize that the American Camping Association certifies all of the center's camping experiences. Counselors all have at least one year of college education, medical staff is on site 24 hours a day, and campers are supervised 24 hours a day. Housing is on campus and is, well, camp-like. Girls and boys are housed separately (that goes for adults, too).
If sleep-away camp isn't in your child's future anytime soon, don't give up. The Challenger Centers, a nonprofit group formed by the parents and relatives of the astronauts killed in the 1986 explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, offer mission-based space simulation experiences on par with those offered by the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in a day-camp environment.
Challenger Centers can be found in 30 locations throughout the United States and Canada. Some are located within the confines of museums such as the Tampa, Florida, Museum of Science and Industry or New York's Rochester Museum and Science Center.
"Our two-week day camp for middle schoolers takes in about 100 kids at a time," says Michael Newcomb, director of the Rochester Challenger Center. "The kids have the chance to tackle eight different jobs during a mission, spending half of their time in the shuttle simulator and the other half in the mission-control simulation room."
One of this coming summer's missions is "Destination Mars." In the scenario, the year is Earth 2076. A now-routine voyage to Mars has brought the latest human crew into Martian orbit. Control of the incoming flight is transferred from Houston's Mission Control to those who handle Mars Control at Chryse Station. The crew's job is to relieve a tired group of scientists who have been exploring the planet for the past two years. As with the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, role-playing is used to grab kids' interest and hold it while a team of NASA-trained master teachers distills complex concepts embodying the basic principles of astronomy, physics, and mathematics for the kids participating in the mission. They are having so much fun that they never even notice how much they are learning.
"We charge $100 for a two-week day-camp session," says Newcomb. "And our track record is good. We've got lots of 'repeaters,' so we are careful to vary the missions from year to year. The summer programs are different even than the programs we run for schoolchildren during the year, since many of our campers find out about the program that way," he continues. Other missions include a return to the moon, rendezvous with a comet, and a satellite deployment. In Rochester alone, the Challenger Center has served more than 70,000 children since it opened in 1992.
If old-time aviation is more your (or your child's) style, check out the Experimental Aircraft Association's Air Academy program based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The Air Academy runs three age-segregated programs each summer. "The Fun Camp" is a five-day program that introduces 12- and 13-year-olds to basic aeronautics and flight concepts. Kids can design and build their own kites, a level-1 rocket and a U-control airplane. A Young Eagles ride at the Pioneer Airport is part of the experience. "Intermediate Leadership" is a one-week program that takes 14- and 15-year-olds on an aviation adventure encompassing aeromodeling, gliders, ultralight aircraft, powered parachutes, skydiving, and hot air ballooning. Media presentations, hands-on laboratories, and flying the EAA flight simulators are an integral part of the camp experience. Don't be surprised if your camper gets a chance to help out in the restoration room at the EAA museum, either. If you're older than 15, don't despair. EAA is looking for a few good 16- to 18-year-olds to stay at Air Academy for 10 days just before and during its giant AirVenture 2000 for its "Advanced Leadership Camp." These privileged few teenagers will begin actual flight training and spend plenty of time learning actual aircraft construction and restoration techniques, as well as advanced rocket building, flying, and data recording. They, too, will help out with AirVenture 2000, getting an insider's view of the biggest airshow of the summer. The camps cost between $600 and $900 for members and their immediate families ($650 to $950 for nonmembers). All campers are supervised and stay at the Air Academy Lodge.
Adults can either sign up for a Family Flight Camp or the Academy's winter, spring, or fall sessions (adults only) at the Wright School of Building and Restoration. At Family Camp, you can work with your spouse and children on aeromodeling and airplane- and rocket-building projects. An orientation flight from Pioneer Airport in a classic airplane is part of the fun. Adult programs concentrate more on the mechanics of building and restoring aircraft. These concentrated five-day sessions may be just what you need to get a project off the ground. Family Camp costs from $300 to $450 and includes rooms at the Air Academy Lodge and meals and snacks on campus. The adult programs cost $900 ($1,000 for nonmembers) and also include meals and lodging.
Several aviation colleges and universities offer their students the opportunity to fly and earn credits during the summer, but few offer programs to younger teens. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, however, broke that mold years ago and has been offering its "SunFlight" Summer Academy in various forms since 1977.
"We had a record enrollment of more than 200 campers last year, up more than 100 percent from the year before," says Bill Klemm, summer camp manager. "This year we want to make the flight exploration-our six-day program for children 12 to 18 years old-smaller and more intimate. We'll keep the same format, including some hands-on flight instruction, 'Gemini' observation flights, flight simulator time, and ground school, as well as with all of our camps an in-depth tour of how ERAU works," he continues. Tuition is $600 and includes supervised housing, meals, one hour of flight time, and field trips.
High-school-aged teens can choose from the ACES Academy intensive five-day career introduction program or the Engineering Technology Academy. Both programs provide 16- to 18-year-olds with a brief but in-depth look at aviation- and aerospace-related careers. For those seeking college credits, the four-week-long Aerospace Summer Camp provides three. Fifteen- to 18-year-olds get a dunking into the world of aviation and aerospace through classroom lectures, guest speakers, field trips, and hands-on activities. The credits are awarded after successful completion of the program, which costs $2,950.
If flying airplanes is the only thing on your 16- to 18-year-old's mind, then ERAU's SunFlight Solo Camp, Eagles Private Pilot Camp, or Instrument Camp is the only way to go. Tuition is high ($2,950 to $9,200), but in exchange for the cash and some serious sweat over two to eight weeks, your teen can earn student pilot solo privileges, a complete private pilot certificate or, if he or she already has that, an instrument rating and between two and six college credits.
"Our success rate in SunFlight is good," says Klemm. "Nearly all those who started the Eagle program got their private pilot certificates, and all three campers in the IFR camp got their ratings, too," he continues. As with any skills-based certification program, it is difficult to gauge exactly how many flight hours it will take for each individual to earn a certificate. ERAU is generous about completion times, even allowing some campers to stay on in the dormitory housing past the end of their session if they are close to completing a rating. There may be additional flight fees, however, if your camper takes significantly more flight hours to attain proficiency. All campers live on campus and are supervised by approved chaperones. On-campus meals, sporting activities, and social events are all included in the summer program experience. For that matter, each camper's flight materials and books are included in the tuition price as well.
If the tuition for a college credit program is more than your summer budget can handle, take a moment to check out the Civil Air Patrol's Cadet Program. Nearly every small community has a CAP squadron and, within that, a cadet squadron made up of middle school- and high school-aged children. Those children are eligible to attend any of the Civil Air Patrol's camps.
Flight-minded cadets will salivate when they hear about the CAP's National Flight Academy Power Track, Glider Track, or Jacksonville University-based Airline Academy Track. Those 14 years and older can learn the basics of maneuvering a sailplane. We are talking about hands-on, in-cockpit, loggable flight time here.
The Advanced Glider Track gives those who have soloed the chance to earn their private pilot glider ratings (if they are old enough). The Power Track is based on the U.S. Air Force's flight screening program. Cadets get 10 hours of flight training and 25 hours of ground school on top of their career exploration experiences.
The Airline Academy Track is for cadets 16 and older who know what they want out of an aviation career-a straight track to the left seat of an airliner. For them, CAP provides three weeks of intensive flight training that can even encompass a multiengine rating. Successful cadets can earn as many as six college credits while logging time toward their ATP or other advanced ratings.
The best place to get information about the programs and their cost is from your local CAP detachment.
For a really unusual summer, you can send your teen (or attend an adult session yourself) to Flight Training Adventure Camp. The camp is a cross between a flight school and a cowboy-style traveling camp that tests a teen's dexterity, determination, and camaraderie. Besides flight training, campers get a chance to go river rafting or water skiing, attend open-air theatre, explore caves, and ride horseback. Other activities include parachuting, swimming, cliff jumping, bicycling, mini-golf, and rappelling (study time permitting). Each camp lasts six weeks and consists of two segments: Base Camp in Canon City, Colorado, and Tour Camp. The two-week Base Camp is devoted to primary flight instruction and preparing for the FAA written test. The Tour Camp is the traveling segment, and it lasts for the remaining four weeks. The price for the six-week program is $5,950 for private pilot applicants with no prior experience (shorter programs are available for less cash). Fees include all but your airfare during the Base Camp segment.
Summer is just around the corner, so you should begin calling around now to find the best camp experience for your sky-bound youngster, your family, or even yourself.
Where To Find It
If you can't find a program tailor-made for you here, check online at some of the following sites: (www.aca-camps.org), (www.campsearch.com), (www.intercamp.com), (www.petersons.com), (www.kidscamp.com), or (www.campfinders.org). U.S. Space and Rocket Center programs can be found online (www.spacecamp.com) or (www.dogfite.com), as well as by telephone at 800/63-SPACE. A list of all the Challenger Learning Centers can be found at (www.challenger.org). The Experimental Aircraft Association is online at (www.eaa.org) or you can telephone 920/426-4800. Embry-Riddle University's Daytona Campus summer programs can be found online (www.ec.erau.edu/dce/summer/) or by telephoning 800/359-4550. Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters are at 105 S. Hansell St., Building 714, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama 36112-6332; telephone 800/FLY-2338. For more information about Flight Training Adventure Camp, go to (www.ftacamp.com) or write to FTAC, Post Office Box 1971, Fairfield, Iowa 52556: telephone 515/472-5217 or fax: 515/472-0461.
Related Articles
