Physics class goes for a ride in the name of science
<p>Plains High School science teacher Carl Benson demonstrates aviation physics to from left to right: Jessica Hansen, James Wade, Aaron Balantine and Ashley Holmes.</p>
A science class from Plains High School received a real world demonstration of aviation physics from local pilot and businessman Randy Garrison on Tuesday.
Four students along with science teacher Carl Benson gathered at Penn Stohr Field in Plains to take a ride in Garrison’s Piper Cherokee 235 down to Paradise and back providing them a tangible display of the lessons they had been studying in the classroom.
As Garrison removed the plane from its housing, Benson began to review some of the principles of flight dynamics with the students. Seniors Ashley Holmes, Jessica Hansen, Aaron Balantine and James Wade listened closely and answered questions from Benson about what parts of the plane made flight possible.
The class had been studying Bernoulli’s principle named after Swiss scientist Daniel Bernoulli, published in his book “Hydrodynamica” in 1738. Applied to aviation, the principle concerns lift: the forces that allow an aircraft to leave the earths’ surface. Lift is achieved when the air moves faster over the top of a wing of an aircraft creating an area of low pressure. The difference in pressure above the wing creates an area of high pressure below and results in lifting forces.
Garrison continued the lesson by showing the students the mechanics on the plane that allow for directional control such as the rudder, tail flaps and ailerons on the wings. After the lesson and a short safety briefing, the students climbed aboard two at time to see first hand how an aircraft works.
With clear skies and cold air which according to Benson and Garrison provided for a smoother ride, the flight soared across the valley down to Paradise and back lasting about 20 minutes. Reaching a height of about 5,000 feet and travelling over 120 mile per hour, the flight provided breathtaking views of the mountains and the Clark Fork River.
Holmes and Hansen flew first followed by Balantine and Wade. After touching down, Hansen said, “It was different. It was fun to know how flying works and then experience it.”
When he is not taking students for rides in his plane, Garrison owns and runs The Printery in downtown Plains. Garrison has been flying for almost 30 years.