Experiencing some real physics from above the ground

High-flying students learned some plane facts on an air field-trip above the South last Friday.

The South Otago High School science students experienced flight forces first hand with plane rides courtesy of Balclutha-based South Otago Aero Club.

"Today we have nine students applying physics to real life," science teacher Chris Sly said.

"They learn about the parts of the plane and what they do.

"You can’t have a plane in the air without lift, so they investigate the concept of the Bernoulli effect, and how that affects the forces above and below the wing."

In groups of three, the year 11 and 12 students joined a pilot for a 20-minute sortie out from the club aerodrome in Glasgow St, Balclutha, across to the Nugget Point coast and back.

"When the plane accelerates in a turn you feel a force like gravity only not downwards towards the earth," student Sam Inder said.

"At the top of a climb and as you descend you get a feeling like weightlessness."

Aero club captain Israel Winn said the club had been working with the school for the physics flights "off and on for about 20 years".

"We arrange for aircraft and pilots at a special price for the students so they can experience some of the forces they study in a classroom in a real sense.

"It also opens minds with a new perspective of where things are in relation to each other around the district from above, and some get the flying bug and go on to train as pilots, which is a very powerful skill to develop."