Quinton GEAR UP students tour the Tulsa Air and Space Museum
Quinton GEAR UP students recently toured the Tulsa Air and Space Museum. TASM Education Specialist Jared Casci guided students who asked questions about the helicopters, fighter jets, rockets, and passenger carriers.
Casci provided information about the Pearl Harbor survivors’ exhibit, explaining how it presents historic American and Japanese artifacts from World War II, along with an interactive touch–screen that allows visitors to listen to Oklahoma survivors of the Pearl Harbor attacks as they share their experiences.
The students were fascinated by the wind tunnel flight simulator. Several students took part in trying to maneuver the F–16 Viper. Facts about “plane language and terms” were explained by Mr. Casci. The students learned that “Yaw” is the left to right movement of an aircraft, the rotation around the front to back is the “roll,” and the rotation around side to side axis is the “pitch.”
The students sat in the top–gun type fighter jet, the Tomcat F–14. The on screen video flight simulators were also a fun hands–on activity for students.
A commercial aviation exhibit presents historic uniforms, documents, and photos from American Airlines, Trans World Airlines, and other commercial carriers. The students found it interesting that Hangar One of the TASM contains several historic aircrafts including the only surviving Spartan C–2, a Learjet 24, and an F–14 Tomcat. Students learned about the contributions made by Oklahoma during WWII—the Spartan Aircraft Company and School of Aeronautics, the McDonnell–Douglas bomber plant, and the Boeing Industry. Pilots were trained at Spartan School of Aeronautics, and Douglas Aircraft Co. built its mile–long Air Force Plant No. 2 to build bombers.
Students moved to the TASM Planetarium and had a virtual reality 3D image trip through the galaxy with the showing of “STARS.” The educational film amazed students with information about the planets, stars, and black holes. The exciting and colorful show taught students about the history of astronomy, astrology, and views from such space historians like Copernicus, Galileo, and Hubble. The amazing dome theater displayed the constellations and discussed earth science as colorful balls of gases exploded over students’ heads. Some of the students said they felt like they were spinning with the visual imagery of the soaring stars and planets.
“We had a great time,” said GEAR UP Education Coordinator Lori Fazekas. “Students said they would love to visit this museum again and felt like they had learned some new information. That’s what it is all about—giving them new experiences while they learn.”
The field trip was sponsored by Eastern Oklahoma State College GEAR UP. Participating schools take two field trips each academic year—one to tour a college or university and one that is cultural/educational in nature.
Kyleigh Hilburn Walker—Quinton sophomore Kyleigh Hilburn Walker poses in a space suit in the Space Age exhibit at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum.
Lindsey Burgess—Quinton sophomore Lindsey Burgess poses in a space suit in the Space Age exhibit at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum.
Andrew Howell—GEAR UP sophomore Andrew Howell from Quinton mans the video simulator of a P–51 Mustang.
Jaylen Holieway—Jaylen Holieway, a GEAR UP sophomore from Quinton, stands in front of the museum’s one of a kind prototype, a Spartan executive 12 W private luxury passenger jet.
Mason Herring and Bobby Brennan—Quinton GEAR UP students Mason Herring pilots the Ranger 2000 fighter jet with tail gunner, Bobby Brennan on board.
Jared Casci—TASM Education Specialist Jared Casci explains the flight maneuvers to Quinton GEAR UP students Chad Simmons, Mason Herring, Bobby Brennan, Lindsey Burgess, Hunter Lane, Gabriel Hernandez, Kaleb Bone and Jaylen Holieway.
Group Photo—Quinton GEAR UP students and sponsors at the TASM were Mayson Herring, Quinton Teacher Cal Reading, Kyleigh Hilburn–Walker, Quinton Teacher Lisa Hilburn, Hunter Lane, Kaleb Bone, Andrew Howell, Jaylen Holieway, Gabriel Hernandez, Bobby Brennan, Chad Simmons, and Lindsey Burgess.