Flying Start Challenge

	Frequently Asked Questions
	How can I/my School take part in the Flying Start Challenge? Schools can take part in the flying start challenge by completing the application form. If you wish to try to get your school to take part then your best option is to show this website to your technology teacher. Currently the Flying Start Challenge runs yearly from September/October and is open to Year 9 pupils from schools in the South West of England.
	Are there any rules for the competition? Yes there is a set of rules for the gliders, including things such as materials, cost, etc. These can be found by looking at the rules section of the website.
	Do I work on my own or in groups? You will need to work in groups to compete in this challenge, with an ideal size of 4 people. In most cases your teacher will be involved in-group selection.
	Will any material be provided to make the gliders? The Flying Start Challenge will provide a small amount of balsa wood to each school at the start of the challenge, to get each school off to a start, however, more material will be needed throughout the challenge to create the gliders.
	Can I build a paper aeroplane? While under the rules, it is possible to build a paper aeroplane, the marking scheme for the fly offs day is structured in such a way that it would be virtually impossible to win with it, due to all the categories such as innovative design, build quality, etc.
	How far do the gliders normally fly? Last year some of the gliders where reaching as far as 16 Metres, however this changes every year.
	What is the difference between the Finals day and the Fly Offs? Every school, which enters the flying start challenge, will automatically reach the Fly Off; at the Fly Off each team will have the chance to fly their glider against schools from the same region. The Finals day is only reached by the schools, which perform the best at the Fly Offs, and is a whole day at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, where pupils will compete in various engineering challenges to win prizes for themselves or their schools. There generally tends to be a celebrity present as a guest speaker.
	Will I be able to learn more about the aerospace industry? Yes. Each school will have a local aerospace company assigned to them, which should make several visits to the school. During these visits you will have information about the aerospace industry presented to you and you will also be able to ask any questions you might have. You can also follow the links to any of the Aerospace companies involved websites using the links page on this website.
	How often will an aerospace company visit my school? The aerospace company chosen to visit your school should make at least 3 visits to your school during the challenge. During which time they will explain the flying start challenge further, provide hints and tips into glider manufacture and testing and show how parts / planes are made in the aerospace industry.
	How do I win a prize? All prizes are won by winning an event at the Finals day and are for school equipment. The finals day consists of several engineering related tasks, for each of these there will be a prize for the winning team. The main prizes will be for the team and school that does the best in all the events during the Finals day. In order to get to the finals day your School will need to perform well at the fly offs. How well changes from region to region but your Aerospace Industry helpers should be able to let you know. 1st Prize - £1000 2nd Prize - £200 3rd Prize - £100