Monday, February 9 to Friday, February 13– course project

LEQ: How is trigonometry used in landing an aircraft?

Objective: to apply right triangles, vectors, and polar coordinates to a real world
application (flight)
Activities:

1) Motivating Video– 24 hours in the sky

http://smartskies.nasa.gov/mov/24hrs.html

2) Are runways safe?

Read the information on the following websites. Enter your opinion into a Moodle forum.

http://www.faa.gov/runwaysafety/

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2006-04-23-runway-safety-
system_x.htm

http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-runway25feb25

2) Learn about how runways are numbered.

http://virtualskies.arc.nasa.gov/navigation/tutorial/tutorial5.html

3) View an actual runway map at

http://tucsonairport.org/media/tiarunway_map.pdfRecord your observations into a
Moodle forum.

4) Learn the vocabulary associated with flight. Record your information in a Moodle
wiki. This may include definitions, graphics, and web links. Present your finding to the
class. Use packet #1 to record the information.

Group 1: Cody, David, Darlene What are the stages of flight?

Group 2: Rob, Lauren, Melissa, Matthew What are is the descent/approach corridors?
What is the difference between descent and approach?

Group 3: Brent, Martin, Colby, Seth What is “safe separation” of airplanes? Why is it
important? Typically, what is considered safe?

Group 4: Jimmy, Jeb, Larissa Do planes fly straight for the runway? Describe the path
of the landing.
5) Sample problem with landing (Solved in small groups)
Need 3 right triangles, use packet #2 to record the information

6) Prepare for landing – Use packet #3 to record the information

Hang plane from ceiling (small groups)
Runway – tape the center line of the runway
Determine north and label the angle of the runway.
Determine reasonable touchdown zone.
Determine reasonable scale factors. 1ft in classroom = ?
Take measurements of the planes hanging from the ceiling and determine
the plan for landing the plane on the runway (middle table)

7) Groups create and present a powerpoint slideshow to explain plan for landing

8) Extension: flight queue, polar coordinates, radar

Website – instructional video on safe distance and getting in line
http://smartskies.nasa.gov/mov/sector33.html
Create a flight queue, and adjust the plan for landing the planes on the
runway

9) Closure: What did you learn? What was the most challenging? What problems did you
encounter? How did you solve those problems?