Year 12 Design and Technology students will fly again for Parkes Christian School at the 2019 Moomba Birdman Rally.
There are some exciting new developments this year as more schools are getting involved, with Moomba Birdman Rally allocating schools their own category to compete in, giving students opportunities to be more involved in the competition.
This is the fourth year the PCS has attended the event and after a win in the ‘Flying Class’ section in 2017, the students are excited to try their hand at gaining the title again.
“The furthest we have ever flown is 11 metres, this was enough to take out the ‘Flying Class’ trophy for longest flight of the day in 2017,” Parkes Christian School Design and Technology teacher Jason Wynstra said.
“We have an extremely dedicated team working on our aircraft ‘Double Trouble’ this year.” Jason said.
“Entering the Moomba Birdman Rally has become a fun and exciting way for our Design and Technology students to engage with their classwork in a practical way, with the students now taking the competition very seriously.
A major component of the Design and Technology syllabus is problem solving, so this competition is a great opportunity to explore that,” Mr Wynstra said.
“As a teacher I’ve found it amazing to watch the students work out a creative way to solve the problem of creating a biplane light enough to fly into the Yarra river off a small platform, yet sturdy enough to safely support the pilot.
“Students have been involved in the design, engineering, construction and testing of the aircraft to get it ready for the 10 March. Our Senior students used STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skills to help them create a top-quality aircraft.
“Other tasks our students will engage in involve pre-flight setup and assistance, piloting, and conducting media interviews and releases.”
PCS students travel 10 hours from Parkes to Melbourne to take part in this unique experience.
“We are committed to providing real-world experiences for our students rather than just burying them in textbooks and theory,” High School Coordinator Greg Ballantyne said.
“It’s a far better way for students to learn and they share an experience they will never forget.”
Students will also be involved in fundraising, this year with Parkes Christian School being the focus of our fundraising efforts helping to get our students down to the event.
If you would like to help support get our team to the Moomba Birdman Rally giving them the opportunity of a lifetime, you can by donating at https://birdmanrally.gofundraise.com.au/page/JasonWynstra0