The Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in partnership with AAR Corp. and the Metro Technology Center recently hosted the 16th Annual Aviation Career Education (ACE) Camp, hosting fifty-two 7th and 8th grade students. The goal of the camp was to expose students to a variety of aviation careers while exploring aviation and aerospace across different organizations.
Students were provided 4-days packed full of tours, lectures and hands-on STEM activities related to aviation. They started their week learning about Bernoulli’s Principle and touring the AAR facility, examining aircraft in various stages of maintenance and overhaul, including a brand-new Boeing 737 Max being prepared for its first flight.
The camp included tours of several facilities around Will Rogers Airport where they were given a behind- the-scenes tour of airport operations and the Airport Fire Rescue facility where they were able to try out the gear and get a feel for spraying the hoses that are used to extinguish fires.
Students were able to spend a day at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center (MMAC) where they toured the Transportation Safety Institute Boneyard, Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, and the FAA Academy. They wrapped up their time at MMAC with the Flight Research and Analysis group trying their hands at both the Airbus and Boeing Flight Simulators.
The campers ended their week with presentations from NASA and the Class Matters organization, where they worked in teams to safely land "eggstronauts" without breaking them. They also made their own advertising commercial selling the four forces of flight. A graduation ceremony was held for each camp in one of the original airport hangars located at AAR, with parents and family members in attendance before heading to iFLY OKC for one final activity as a group.
In addition to ACE Camp, here are some recent STEM events hosted by the Aeronautical Center:
On June 1, 2023, the University of Oklahoma (OU) School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering brought 13 students and professors to the MMAC. These students are working on research projects with unmanned vehicles. The students visited the Flight Research and Analysis Branch (AFS-430) and toured their flight simulators, while also receiving an overview of NAS Engineering from the ASDE/RWSL Systems Engineering Subteam (AJW-1442).
On June 9, 2023, the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) ACE Academy had 13 students and 6 adults visit the MMAC for a tour of the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute and the Transportation Safety Institute.
On June 13, 2023, Eastern Oklahoma State College took 32 high school seniors and college freshman from the GEAR UP Program to visit the MMAC. These students toured the FAA Academy and Flight Program Operations.
As summer comes to an end, the MMAC continues to support STEM activities on Center and in the community. If you are interested in participating as a STEM Outreach Representative, please contact our STEM AVSED Program Manager, Jamie Loving at (405)954-5304.
