Flight Camp, day 2

Well, we survived day 2 of flight camp! I am exhausted, but it was a good day. In the morning, hubby taught the kids all about cross-country flight planning. They actually planned out the flight they would fly that afternoon. Then after a break for lunch, we headed to the airport. While some kids were flying, I worked with those who were not flying to get the hot air balloons just about completed. I had a Power Point presentation all ready to go for another lesson on the basics of flight, but it was stored on the internet, and we had some technical difficulties accessing it, so I didn’t get to teach that lesson. Oh well. Sometimes these things happen. Since I couldn’t teach that lesson, when the kids were done with the hot air balloons, they watched a movie about the Thunderbirds.

The kids really did well overall. You would never know that there were 17 teenagers, a toddler, and several adult chaperones there. We got permission to set up Bug-a-Boo’s pack-n-play in an extra room that wasn’t being used, but once he realized he was at the airport, he didn’t sleep a wink. He did get some quiet time with Grandma in there while I taught, and that seemed to be enough. One of the guys working in a nearby office came out and told us that this was one of the best behaved group of kids he had seen. When he found out that they were all LD, he was doubly impressed. His compliment was a big encouragement to me, as another guy had just come through and reprimanded us for several things we had permission to do (including setting up the pack-n-play).

When the last group headed up, we loaded into the vans and took the rest back for some free time in the gym before dinner. Bug-a-Boo and I scooted out then so that he could get to bed on time tonight since he missed his nap. After dinner, a couple of hubby’s co-workers are going to teach the kids about electricity using the type of generator that can make your hair stand straight out. It really doesn’t have anything to do with flight (although maybe we could tie it into weather) but it’s good science and good fun. Oh, and I learned that yesterday afternoon in addition to the basics of aerodynamics, they used a vacuum pump bell jar to study air pressure. They studied how balloons, marshmallows, and I am sure all kinds of other things show air pressure or lack thereof.

Tomorrow I am not doing any teaching. I was planning on not going in at all to give Bug-a-Boo a down day, but hubby got called in to his other job for tomorrow afternoon and needs his uniform, so I’ll be delivering that in the morning. Thursday is our big morning where we launch the hot air balloons. I really hope they do well! What a week!