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Join us, the fifth grade students of Southwood Elementary, and our teacher, Mr. Beamer, on our flying adventure. It will be an adventure, because our airplane is home-made, and flying long distances over difficult terrain in less that perfect weather usually is an adventure in these simple aircraft.  Here is an outline of some of the things we will do to get ready for the trip.  We'll keep you posted as our adventure unfolds.

                                     Airplanes and how they fly
                                     Flight planning and navigation (math)
                                     Weather and climate along our route
                                     Geography and terrain along our route
                                     How to access and update our web site
                                     How to use e-mail
                                     Things of interest at our destination, as well as along our route.

Flight planning will involve:

                                     Charting our course on aeronautical charts
                                     Planning 1 to 2 hour legs and checking for airports along the way
                                     Figuring fuel consumption and cost
                                     Making a list of supplies needed on the trip.

Launch day activities:

                                     Weather checks
                                     Aircraft preflight
                                     Take-off, possibly from school

Launch date:  September 9, 2002