Brian Williams

Senior Project

Ms. Mathis

September 2, 2022,

A. Project Title: The Brian Williams Instrument Flight Training Simulator

B. Focus: What is your Driving Question? How will this guide your learning? What are

you trying to prove, discover, or create? What are the essential questions (EQs) you

must answer in order to complete your project??

My driving question is how can I create a multifunctional tool that other students and I

can use to enhance our knowledge of instrument flight training. This question will guide my

learning by making sure I research and prepare myself on how to build a flight simulator, update

computer software, and make my own customized instrument flight rules computer file to be

used in the online flight program. This would most likely require watching multiple YouTube

videos, reading materials online, etc. With this project, I plan to create a functioning flight

training tool that can be used for the GTCHS aviation program to teach students about

instrument flight training. The essential questions I must answer to complete my project are what

are the best courses to use for the simulator, how do I make the simulator easy to transport and

accessible for everyone, and how can I make the simulator engaging?

C. Product: Give a clear detailed description of your product. How will this product

demonstrate your learning?

For my final product, I will be taking parts of a flight simulator and fully constructing a

flight training tool that I can use to complete instrument flight courses. Once completed, I will

turn in the fully built simulator with my flight training certificates and then donate it back to the
GTCHS aviation program so future students can use it and enhance their skills. Through each

project phase, I will document my progress by taking multiple photos to give a visual

representation of my progress. To demonstrate my learning, the manually configured computer

file that I’ll create will show my gained computer literacy skills and the instrument flight training

certificates will show I successfully used the simulator to further my own knowledge in aviation.

D. Timeline: How long do you believe you will need in order to complete your project?

What steps will you need to take to accomplish your goals and complete your

product by March 4, 2022?

In order to complete my project, I believe I will need five months for completion. To

build the simulator, I will take one month to assemble all of the parts and attach the computer.

Once the simulator is complete, I will take another month to work on the computer software.

During that time I will update the software, download the flight program, research how to create

my own instrument file, and finally, upload the file to the flight program. For the last three

months, I will use the simulator to take flight courses and earn my certificates.

E. Intent:

a. Purpose: What do you want to accomplish? Why is this topic interesting and

exciting for you? With this project, I plan to accomplish the task of rebuilding a

multifunctional simulator that can help aviation students learn more about instrument

flight training. This topic is interesting and exciting to me because I am currently training

to become an airline pilot. Aviation is an amazing field to enter which can offer a wide

variety of careers for future students. Given that I am no longer a part of the GTCHS

aviation program, I want to build something to help the program grow and can help future

students learn more about aviation.

b. Prior Knowledge: What knowledge, experience, talents, or insights do you bring to

this topic? How much do you already know? In the past three years, I have gained

extensive knowledge and experience in aviation. I was a student in the GTCHS aviation

program from my freshman year to my junior year. During this time, we learned about

the fundamentals of flight, navigation, flight planning, and so much more. However, the

most important thing we learned was how to fly using our flight simulators. We built

them ourselves, trained on them, and even tested our skills for project grades. I also have

real flight training experience. Since December of last year, I have been taking flight

lessons to earn my Private Pilot’s license. While taking lessons, I have been able to apply

my knowledge from the classroom to real-life flight training. With this knowledge, I

believe I have more than enough experience in the topic of aviation to complete this

project.

c. What need are you meeting or what problem are you attempting to solve in the

community with your new learning? How will your new learning impact others?

In the aviation industry, it is well known there is a vast airline pilot shortage nationwide.

Airline companies such as Delta, American Airlines, Southwest, and more are predicted

to lose more than 12,000 pilots by the year 2023. With my simulator, I aim to solve this

problem by giving students a resource to learn from and expand their knowledge. This

project will impact other aviation students by encouraging them to earn their private

pilot’s license and potentially work for a major airline.

d. How does this topic stretch your comfort limits? What risks are you going to take?

This topic will stretch my comfort limits by exposing me to new information on a higher

level of training. Instrument flight training can be a difficult area to discover, especially
since I have not obtained my private pilot’s license. I will be taking multiple risks such as

working on a computer file, building a simulator by myself, and taking courses of which I

have no prior knowledge. Accomplishing this task will demonstrate my independent

skills and motivation to perfect my craft in the field of aviation.