Pilot 
Flies the plane and reports issues
- After the Engineer chooses the airplane design, check the Pilot Tip Sheet for tips on flying your plane’s design.
- Ask the Materials Teammate to pick up the test airplane that matches your team's design from the Material Store. Practice flying it at the designated Flight Line and report back to your team.
- After the Mechanic finishes building your team’s airplane, conduct your one free test flight and report back to your team.
- Conduct your Airplane Quality Check with your Finance Teammate, Mechanic and an adult.
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Hints:
- You can fly the test airplane as many times as you want for free!
- Pay attention to how you throw the airplane.
- You cannot take test airplanes to your team’s table.
- You can pay for additional test flights.
- Does the Mechanic need to make any adjustments? Does the Materials Teammate need to purchase any other supplies, like a paper clip or tape? How does your airplane compare to the practice airplane?
Add Thrust, Drag, Lift, Weight to see how each affects an airplane in flight!
What makes an airplane fly?
Thrust is the force that propels a flying machine in the direction of motion. Engines produce THRUST.
Drag is the force that acts opposite to the direction of motion. DRAG is caused by friction and differences in air pressure.
Lift is the force that acts at a right angle to the direction of motion through the air. LIFT is created by differences in air pressure.
Weight is the force of GRAVITY. It acts in a downward direction — toward the center of the Earth.