Air Activities Staged Activity Badge

Construct and fly a chuck glider for at least five seconds.
You can also build and fly a miniature hot air balloon or kite instead.
Understand the terms nose, fuselage, tail, wings, port, starboard and tailfin.
Learn the names of an aeroplane’s control surfaces.
Choose one of these activities:
1. Collect photographs or pictures of six aircraft that interest you. Name them and identify their operational uses.
2. Tell others about an airline that you are interested in, or have travelled on, including the airline’s uniform and logos.
3. Find out about unmanned aircraft, such as drones, and the rules around flying them safely.
Show how you would get a weather forecast for an air activity.
Send and receive a simple message using the phonetic alphabet.
Explain why it is used in aviation.
Draw a diagram or make a model of an airfield to show and name different points.
Use your diagram model to explain the rules for access to an airfield.
Take part in a visit to a place of aviation interest, such as an airfield, air display or air museum.
Tell others about something you learnt.
Using 1:50000 and 1:25000 OS maps, show you understand the meaning of scale and common map symbols.
Explain how a pilot might use a map differently from a car driver or somebody on a hike.
Use a flight simulator programme.
Show the effects of the controls.

There are free online flight simulators available, which would be sufficient for stage 3. Examples are listed in this external article.

There are desktop flight simulator programmes available, such as Microsim and X-plane. Due to the cost of these, it would be worth purchasing at District level.

A local aviation/aircraft museum or gliding club may have a flight simulator that you could access, or if you’re an RAF recognised Air Scout groups, you could ask your local ATC unit.

November 2024.

Requirements can be adapted to suit each young persons abilities. See our guidance on flexibility.