AviCom 2023

Who: South Carolina high school students in aviation and aerospace programs.
What: Individuals and teams of students will compete for trophies and prizes.
When: February 1st, 2023. Students will arrive on January 31st for the overnight experience.
Where: Patriots Point Flight Academy on board the USS Yorktown.

Why: To achieve the mission learning objectives.

The mission is for students to demonstrate their aviation knowledge and skills through competition aligned with the following standards:

Academic Standards

• Analyze the performance characteristics of a given aircraft to operate at peak efficiency for specific atmospheric conditions (Science and Engineering Standard HS-ETS1-1).

• Plan a cross-country flight, optimizing fuel efficiency based on the trade-offs between flying at different altitudes, while staying in compliance with regulations (Science and Engineering Standard HS-ETS1-6).

• Use computer simulation to model a planned cross-country flight, flying according to standard operating procedures and interacting with changing conditions ( Science and Engineering Standard HS-ETS1-4).

• Obtain, interpret, and apply information from official sources, including aviation maps, aircraft performance charts, airport diagrams, and weather reports (English Language Arts Standard RST.11-12.4).

Airman Certification Standards

• PA.I.C - Weather Information

• PA.I.E - National Airspace

• PA.I.F - Performance and Limitations

• PA.I.G - Operation of Systems

• PA.II.D - Taxiing

• PA.III.B - Traffic Patterns

• PA.VI.A - Pilotage and Dead Reckoning

Students will compete in teams and individually. Teams will compete in a simulated flight.  Individually, students will be tested on airman knowledge and aircraft identification. 

Simulated Flight Mission Completion Criteria

The exact details of the mission will be revealed after arriving onboard the Yorktown.  The aircraft type, departure airport, arrival airport, and weather outlook will be briefed the night before the competition.  Competitors are expected to be able plan a VFR flight and use a flight simulator to execute their plan. Competitor will be evaluated on the time and fuel required to complete the flight, minus any demerits for violating regulations and standard procedures.  Competitors are expected to be able to use a flight simulator to:

• Taxi to the correct runway based on wind conditions.

• Hold short of the runway until cleared for takeoff.

• On departure, climb above 3000’ AGL to an appropriate VFR cruising altitude and hold altitude (+/-200’) until no more than 10 miles from the arrival airport unless an altitude change is required to maintain VFR or to avoid airspace restrictions. 

• Navigate by pilotage and dead reckoning.

• Clear all obstacles by 1000’ and clear wilderness areas by 2000’.

• Do not enter any controlled airspace without authorization (teams are authorized for their departure airport airspace, their arrival airport, and all Class E airspace).

• Do not violate airspace speed or cloud clearance limits.

• Do not exceed a bank angle of 45 degrees or a pitch angle of 15 degrees.

• Do not exceed a decent rate of more than 1000 per minute.

• Land on the correct runway based on wind conditions.

• Stay on paved surfaces.

• Taxi to the ramp.

• Park in a parking space and set the parking brake.

Airman Knowledge

Multiple-choice test aligned with the mission learning objectives.   The test will have a time limit.

Aircraft Identification

Students will identify twenty (20) aircraft.  For each aircraft to be identified, an image of one aircraft will be shown for a few seconds and then several seconds will be allowed to select answers from multiple choices.

Rules

Student participants may be certified as Student Pilots but students must not have yet received primary pilot certification.

Individuals can not take the airman knowledge and aircraft identification test without being on a team that competes in the simulated flight.

Space is limited to ten (10) teams.

For the simulated flight competition, arriving first does not mean you win. Scoring will be based on a combination of time and fuel used minus demerits for violating mission completion criteria.

The airman knowledge and aircraft identification tests will be curved.

After the mission briefing, and before the simulated flight, students are to develop their flight plans only with the other students on their team.  Teachers, coaches, instructors, and parents are not to help students with the flight plans.

Grand Prize: $1,000 Flight Training Scholarship and Trophy, sponsored by Triple Tree Aerodrome, awarded to the individual who has the best combined score in the flight simulation, airman knowledge, and aircraft identification.

Team Prizes for the Simulated Flight Competition 

Co-sponsored by Aviation Supplies and Academics (ASA)

• 1st place $750 Gift card to purchase from ASA’s website

• 2nd place $500 Gift card to purchase from ASA’s website

• 3rd place $250 Gift card to purchase from ASA’s website

Co-sponsored by Triple Tree Aerodrome

• 1st Place School Trophy, Traveling Trophy, and Flight Experience.

Individual Prizes for the Airman Knowledge Competition

Sponsored by Aviation Supplies and Academics (ASA)

• 1st place for the student in the Airmen Knowledge event – Private Pilot Virtual Test Prep (ASA’s Private Ground School), ASA Backpack, E6B-COLOR

• 2nd place for the student in the Airmen Knowledge event - Private Pilot Virtual Test Prep (ASA’s Private Ground School), CX-3

• 3rd Place for the student in the Airmen Knowledge event - Private Pilot Virtual Test Prep (ASA’s Private Ground School)

Individual Prizes for the Aircraft Identification Competition

• 1st place for the student in the Aircraft Identification event – $200 Gift Card

• 2nd place for the student in the Aircraft Identification event - $100 Gift Card

• 3rd place for the student in the Aircraft Identification event - $50 Gift Card

Students and teachers will be staying onboard the USS Yorktown, which is the centerpiece of Patriots Point Navel and Maritime Museum.   See the "Operation Overnight" web page for more information about what is included, what to pack, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Off-ship Accommodations

Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina is a very nice facility within walking distance of the Yorktown.  Late January and early February are the off-season and rooms are typically available at reasonable rates. 

Arrival Instructions

Students and teachers must arrive on Tuesday on time to check-in before orientation which begins at 4:00pm. Sponsors and guests are not expected until Wednesday.

Display your Parking Pass upon arrival (only required on Tuesday for those staying overnight).

Address: 40 Patriots Point Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

Cars Main Entrance Map Pin Location 1

The gate house attendant will have a list of participants.

Buses Drive past the Main Entrance.  At the roundabout, take the first right, and then right again,

following signs to Patriots Point Employee and Bus Parking. Map Pin Location 2

Text Event Director on arrival (864) 735-3702

Check-in

Everyone will check-in and pick up event ID at either onshore, prior to walking down the pier, or at the Information Booth just inside the main entrance to the ship.

All participants must turn-in a signed Patriots Point Media Waiver.

All participants will receive AviCom ID with lanyard.

All students will receive an AviCom t-shirt. 

Orientation 

4 p.m. - Patriots Point Camping staff will provide orientation and expectations for the overnight experience.

Dinner

5 p.m. Pizza Night! All meals and snacks are served in the CPO Mess Hall below the main deck.

Evening Sessions

Teams, including teachers/coaches, and AviCom Crew will be split into Alpha Group and Bravo Group.

Alpha Group Activity Order

1. Simulated flight briefing (Flight Academy classroom), Teams will receive Flight Planning Kits

2. Simulator familiarization (Flight Academy sim lab)

3. Aircraft exhibit (main deck)

4. history presentation (Flight Academy classroom).

Bravo Group Activity Order

1. Aircraft exhibit (main deck)

2. history presentation (Flight Academy classroom)

3. Simulated flight briefing (Flight Academy classroom), Teams will receive Flight Planning Kits

4. Simulator familiarization (Flight Academy sim lab)

Flight Planning

AviCom Crew will meet to review competition logistics (CPO Mess Hall, then Flight Academy classroom).

Teams will use this time to plan their flight (any available location).

Lights Out - 11:00 pm

Reveille - 6:30 am

Teams must pack up belongings and leave them on their bunk.

Breakfast 

7 a.m. Chick-fil-a

Teams will surrender all communication devices to their teacher/coach.

Morning Sessions

Alpha Group

• 8:00 am - Report to Flight Academy for simulated flight sequencing.

  • Teams will surrender flight planning supplies and as they leave the sim lab.

• 10:30 am - Report to CPO Mess for Airman Knowledge Test

• 11:30 am - Report to Flight Academy for Aircraft Recognition

Bravo Group

• 8:00 am - Report to CPO Mess Hall for Airman Knowledge Test.

• 9:00 am - Report to Flight Academy for Aircraft Recognition Test.

• 9:30 am - Stay in Flight Academy for simulated flight sequencing.

  • Teams will surrender flight planning supplies and as they leave the sim lab.

Teachers/Coaches

• 8:00 am - Professional Development with Patriots Point Staff. Meet at the Information Booth.

• 10’ish Snack Break

• Professional Development (continued) and then photo opportunities.

Sponsors and Guests

• Check-in at Information Booth

• Browse the museum exhibits

• Limited access to Flight Academy - Check with the following people for access.

  • Event Chief Mate - Craig Martin

  • Event Steward - Jean Shew

• Take lots of pictures..

Lunch

12:00 - Sandwich Trays. All are invited to lunch.

Communication devices returned to students.

Panel Discussion

  All gather in the main theater at 1:00 pm

Panel Members

Discussion Leader: Bryan Haffey, Dean of Academics at St. Josephs Catholic School, Certified Flight Instructor, FAASTeam Representative

• James (Jim) Borgaard, Lead Recruiter at LIFT Academy, in Indianapolis, Indiana

• Technical Sergeant Mark J. Gregory, Production Recruiter for the South Carolina Air National Guard stationed at McEntire Joint National Guard Base

• James (Lanny) Cline, Safety Inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration based in Columbia, South Carolina

• George Greene, Associate Dean of Manufacturing & Maintenance at Trident Technical College located in the South Carolina Aeronautical Training Center, located in North Charleston.

• Lloyd Richardson, Chair of the Department of Aeronautics at Charleston Southern University.

• Christopher (CJ) Will, First Officer for American Airlines.

Awards Ceremony

Robb Williams, Executive Director of Triple Tree Aerodrome, will present the awards.

Closing Remarks

Doug Adomaits, Aviation Educator at Greenville Technical Charter High School, will give closing remarks.

“There can only be one first time.”