Coben Scott
Friday, June 13, marked the final day for the summer camp, FlyVenture — one of many life skills camps offered by Falcon AeroLab, which is based at Meadow Lake Airport.
The children in the FlyVenture’s camp spent a week immersed in everything aircraft related, from flight simulators, wind tunnels and real aircraft rides.
The children in the FlyVenture’s camp spent a week immersed in everything aircraft related, from flight simulators, wind tunnels and real aircraft rides. Operated by the Neff family, the goal for the camp has always been the same: introduce the world of flight to young minds.
On this day, Brian Neff was leading the campers through instructions for a proper test flight of RC (radio controlled) aircraft, while his son, Dylan, manned the repair table, aiding with the damages of war the young pilots faced. When asked about the favorite part of their work, both Neffs answered with, “Seeing the smiles” and the joy in the children’s faces when there was a successful flight.
The camp is a weeklong course; during the week, they are tasked with building a remote-controlled airplane. The airplane is challenged by a crash test on the final day at the Pikes Peak RC Flyers Field. Although they aren’t flying commercial planes to Hong Kong and back, the young pilots must navigate their crafts through the daunting challenge of Falcon winds and over the prairie sea of yucca and cactus.
The group teamed up in pairs. Taking turns, the copilot threw the craft above their heads, and the pilot controlled the plane for as long as possible, with hopes of a smooth landing back on the runway. While it took the group a minute to adapt to the conditions, smooth flights were underway. Some even made complete rounds with a better-than-most landing. Trips to the repair station were constant; the most common problem seemed to be the propeller’s explosion caused by a nose diving impact.
After a few hours of flight, the campers regrouped to prepare for the next adventure of the day, a helicopter ride. Before leaving the field, they were tasked with leaving the area cleaner than when they arrived. Campers swept the field and collected every piece of trash they could find.
According to falconaerolab.org,, Falcon AeroLab is a premier STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) aerospace enrichment program designed to inspire, educate and train the next generation of innovators, pilots, engineers and industry professionals.
The next summer camps include the following: (visit https://falconaerolab.org)
July 14-18 — Intro to Programming & Robotics Camp
July 28-Aug 1 — Advanced CAD Camp
