Mathematics

New Deal Mathematics

Math students tour airport facilities

     On Friday, April 15, students from Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus, and Physics went on a tour of the control tower at the Lubbock International Airport. Mr. Rocky Upchurch and Mr. Kyle Conatser sponsored this field trip.
     After receiving security clearance, the students were able to visit the radar room and go to the top of the tower. Air Traffic Controller Mike Cochran lead the tour. “I was surprised to know that the air traffic controllers used so many of the concepts that Mr. Conatser has taught us in class,” said senior Ashley Reynolds. The students viewed the local radar screens and listened to the controllers talking with pilots. “It was very interesting to watch the local controllers communicate with each other and with the controllers in Ft.Worth,” explained senior Lorenzo Valdez. Some of the students were shown two military air-tankers on the radar. Moments later, the air-tankers could be seen outside flying at 21,000 feet over the airport. “We learned that airplanes actually fly on ‘highways’ in the sky,” remarked Reynolds. Cochran explained that planes are directed to fly along specific paths, called airways, between destinations. For example, the common airplane ‘highway’ between Lubbock and Midland is airway 81. Each airway is 8 miles wide and 1,200 to 18,000 feet high.
     When the control tower visit was over, the students toured Hub City Aviation, a local flight school. Louie Hilliard, the owner and main instructor, took the group through a mini-classroom lesson in flying. He discussed using vectors, reading aviation maps, and time and fuel consumption. After the quick lesson, the students were directed to one of the hangers. They toured several types of private planes. The students sat in the cabins and in the cockpits of the planes. The tour guides also showed them how a flight plan is put into the GPS (Global Positioning Systems) and then registered with air traffic control.
     The field trip sponsors felt that the excursion was a great success. “It was good for the students to see that what they are learning in the classroom is actually used,” Mr. Conatser observed. He continued, “And many of the students were amazed to learn that those who work in aviation can make good money.” Cochran and Hilliard both remarked that individuals working in the industry usually have a substantial income, ranging from $60,000 to $100,000 per year in air traffic control, and $100,000 to $200,000 per year as a commercial airline pilot. Mr. Conatser went on to say that this adventure is a “once in a lifetime opportunity for many of our students. It is not very often that students get to take a behind-the-scenes look in the airport control tower and tour a private plane.” Mr. Upchurch commented that “the trip was to aid in the understanding of math and physic's practical use in air navigation.” He and Mr. Conatser agree that it is good for students to see a connection to the math that students learn in school and where math is applied in the ‘real world’.