Plains physics students take flight

When learning about the fundamentals of aerodynamics, it helps to have first-hand experience. That's what a group of Plains High School students got at the Penn Stohr Field of Plains Airport last Wednesday when Plains resident Randy Garrison took the students for an airplane ride.

Garrison used his Cherokee Piper airplane to help reiterate classroom information from science teacher Brooks Sanford and have fun at the same time with their field trip over Plains. Nine seniors and one junior from the school's physics class got the aerodynamics hands-on lesson, which went for over two hours.

Garrison explained the different parts of the aircraft and how they worked. He talked about air flow, lift, thrust, drag and gravity - all part of the Bernoulli Principle, the basic fundamentals of keeping an aircraft in the air. He used a small model airplane to help illustrate his lesson. Garrison showed them the engine, explained what is involved in having a pilot's license and that he must get a thorough physical for himself, and his aircraft must also be inspected and certified every year.

Garrison took the students up in small groups for 10-minute flights to Paradise and back. "It was really cool. I like the different point of view. You can see the whole town," said Amy Hill on her first airplane ride. She specifically noticed the color difference between the Flathead and Clark Fork rivers. He took them up to an elevation of around 6,000 feet.

It was also the first time for her brother, Nick Hill, and Alex Horodyski. Half of the group had flown in commercial aircraft, but not in a small plane, which is about average, said Garrison, who has volunteered to take physics students up in his plane for more than 25 years. Garrison, a 1976 Plains High School graduate, got his pilot's license 40 years ago and is the Plains Airport manager. "This is fun and it's an experience, that's why I do it," said Garrison.

"The kids had a great experience. You can't fully experience flight until you feel it," said Sanford, who's been the science teacher at Plains for the last two years. "You can see it flying a remote control airplane, but you can't feel thrust and you can't feel gravity until you fly in a real airplane," he added. The class worked as a team to build a remote control airplane a week earlier and took turns flying on the football field. "We had a few that I would call controlled crashes," said Sanford. One student flew the RC plane into the scoreboard, but didn't damage it.

"The students enjoyed their flying time and they were thankful that Randy donated his time and expertise to spend the day with them," said Sanford. "While it was certainly fun, the field trip was not just about fun. However, if students enjoy something, they are more likely to be engaged and learn something. I can't think of a better way to engage students while learning the concepts of aerodynamics and flight," said Sanford, who added that the students were tested on the material before the field trip. He noted that the students had demonstrated that they knew the material by answering questions posed by Garrison during the ground school portion of the lesson.

The class did something different this time. Sanford had them shoot video of the field trip and create a production, which the teacher said will further demonstrate their learning. Horodyski did most of the video shooting with his mother's camera.

"He volunteers his resources and time all the time and it isn't an inconvenience. He loves doing this," said Sanford. "Learning through experience is a very powerful tool. I think all of us can remember some of the experiences we had in high school and I think these kids will certainly remember this one."