At Quaker Valley Middle School, seventh graders are discovering that taking the controls of a virtual airplane is not always as simple as it looks and that figuring it out can be part of the excitement.
New flight simulator stations in Joe Prosdocimo’s Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Flight & Space course are giving students another way to explore aviation alongside their classroom lessons and hands-on projects. Students’ reflections reveal surprise, curiosity, and an appreciation for the challenges involved in flight.
“It was so realistic,” said Henry Duckstein, who was also surprised by the variety of aircraft and the ability to explore different places. The experience offered more possibilities than he had expected.
For Lena Gruelle, the challenge itself became part of the appeal.
“When I first tried it, I thought it would be easier than it actually was,” she said. “But it was still cool because I had to actually try and do it instead of it just being easy.”
Discovering Through Trial and Adjustment
As students explore the simulator controls, they are describing moments when an adjustment changes their experience.
James Arbogast initially found it difficult to turn his simulated airplane in midair. Rather than continuing with the same approach, he experimented with a smaller movement.
“I then tried tilting the plane less and then realized that helps you turn,” he said.
Jay Diemert also discovered the importance of understanding the controls. He recalled a moment when his virtual aircraft began dropping and he needed to figure out how to turn its engines back on within the simulation.
“The simulator helped me understand the difficulty of flying and how important it is to understand the controls while flying,” Jay said.
These experiences give students specific situations to reflect on: what they were trying to do, what happened, and what they changed on the next attempt.
Seventh grader James Arbogast takes the controls at one of Quaker Valley Middle School’s new flight simulator stations. A flight yoke and separate throttle controls allow students to interact with a virtual aircraft during their PLTW Flight & Space experience.
From Virtual Flight to Hands-On Design
The exploration extends beyond the simulator stations. Prosdocimo’s teaching spaces include both a computer lab and a workshop, supporting computer-based activities alongside hands-on design and building.
In the course’s aircraft prototype project, Carla Wingens and her group encountered a different challenge: finding the right balance between adding material and keeping their prototype light.
“We had trouble with the weight of our prototype plane,” Carla said. “We would add a piece of duct tape and suddenly it would be too heavy.”
The group responded by testing different amounts rather than settling on its first approach.
“We tested some different amounts of tape and finally found the perfect balance,” she said.
Carla’s experience offers a hands-on counterpart to the adjustments students describe making in the simulators. In both settings, students encountered a challenge, tried a change, and observed what happened.
A New Perspective on Learning Something New
For Merritt Tsai, using the simulator challenged an expectation that the experience would involve little more than pressing a few buttons and lifting the control wheel. The experience prompted a reflection on the time it takes to become comfortable with something unfamiliar.
“Nothing is quite easy at first,” Merritt said, “but over time it will seem like you’ve done it all your life.”
Together, the students’ comments tell a story that goes beyond enthusiasm for new equipment. They describe the surprise of encountering a challenge, the satisfaction of finding an adjustment that works, and the willingness to keep exploring.
All article information provided by Joe Prosdocimo, Pre-Engineering Technology Teacher.