Jonathan Patterson

2011
Monroe, IN
Adams Central High School

“Where Flight Takes Place” is Patterson’s winning project that has 25 students at Adams Central High School stepping out of the traditional classroom to become engineers, pilots and astronauts. As the only aerospace course offered in Northern Indiana, the overall goal is for the students to be able to express ideas through design, demonstrate theories through technology, and master concepts associated with aerospace engineering. The students begin their journey by studying the main components of an aircraft. They will learn all aspects of a Cessna airplane by viewing a labeled, scaled model. The students will illustrate their comprehension of the parts by using flight simulator software and a computer joy stick purchased with the ING grant. Patterson will become their flight instructor and co-pilot, teaching them how to fly, land, take off and maneuver an airplane. Before the flight, students will need to learn how to navigate through the air using waypoints. Students will use handheld GPS units to navigate around the school, relating it to plotting waypoints in flight. As part of the project, the students will also demonstrate the comprehension of aerodynamics. Ultimately, the team will have to build a robot to place inside the aircraft that will collect samples from Mars, their top secret simulated mission. Patterson lives in Berne.