More than 3000 of Bay Area students will learn about aeronautics first-hand at the 2005 AeroExpo at NASA Ames Research Center, located in California’s Silicon Valley. AeroExpo V is a four-day event scheduled April 27-30, 2005, featuring fun educational aeronautics presentations, hands-on activities, and displays.
News media are invited to attend AeroExpo V
Date: April 27-30, 2005
Schedule:
- Career Central Presentations: 10:00, 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. PDT
- Aero Village: 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. PDT
- Flight Line: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. PDT
Who:
- Bay Area middle school students (April 27-29)
- Bay Area Girl Scouts (April 30)
Where: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
AeroExpo V has three venues: Career Central, an interactive presentation by aeronautics and aviation experts; Aero Village, which includes hands-on exhibits and demonstrations; and NASA Flight Line, featuring static displays of various aircraft. Students will rotate through the three venues.
At Career Central, experts representing NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Washington, D.C., and the aviation industry will cover a variety of topics including careers in aviation and aerospace. The experts will discuss their research, the future of aeronautics and space, and how the students can play a part in that future.
Speakers include: Janice Voss, former NASA astronaut; Cecilia Aragon, NASA computer scientist and champion aerobatics pilot; Dennis Sullivan, FAA Air Traffic Controller; and Sandra Clifford, a Bay Area corporate pilot.
“The kind of flying I do (aerobatic maneuvers like loops, rolls, spins and hammerhead turns) is very physically demanding,” explained Cecilia Aragon, a computer scientist at NASA Ames. “I sustain G-forces of up to 12 G’s positive and 9 G’s negative. What that means is that my body can weigh up to 12 times its normal weight – or 9 times its normal weight hanging in straps,” she added.
“I feel so lucky to be living my dream and want to inspire every young person to pursue theirs,” said Clifford, a corporate pilot and president of Women in Aviation.
“The purpose of AeroExpo is to provide students with an immersive experience in the field of aeronautics and aviation, to ignite their interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and excite them about careers in these fields,” said Wendy Holforty, a NASA research engineer and AeroExpo project manager.
Exhibitors at Aero Village include NASA Ames’ technical projects, programs and educational organizations; the Hiller Aviation Museum, San Carlos, Calif.; Federal Express Corp., Memphis, Tenn.; the Federal Aviation Administration’s Oakland and San Jose, Calif., offices; the USS Hornet Museum, Alameda, Calif.; Pacific Coast Aeronauts and aeronautic organizations and clubs from around the Bay Area. Students can participate in 13 hands-on activities and exhibits designed to stimulate and motivate them to pursue further education in math, science and technology.
The NASA Flight Line will display numerous NASA, military, commercial, historic and contemporary civilian aircraft, including: NASA’s Kuiper C-140 Airborne Telescope, an Army Aeroflightdynamics Directorate’s UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, a California Air National Guard 129th Rescue Squadron C-130 Hercules transport, a U.S. Navy F/A 18 Hornet, a U.S. Coast Guard rescue helicopter and a hot air balloon. Other attractions include a NASA Ames’ air rescue and fire fighting vehicle and radio-controlled aircraft flight demonstrations.
Please contact Jonas Dino at 650/604-5612 or jonas.dino@nasa.gov to obtain clearance to attend the AeroExpo V.
For additional information about AeroExpo V, visit:
