WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.620 align:middle line:90% 00:00:01.620 --> 00:00:04.800 align:middle line:84% TINA SRIVASTAVA: I think it's a really basic point of curiosity 00:00:04.800 --> 00:00:07.580 align:middle line:84% in the world, and people that come to MIT, 00:00:07.580 --> 00:00:10.630 align:middle line:84% who are very passionate and want to change the world, 00:00:10.630 --> 00:00:14.160 align:middle line:84% should know how airplanes fly, some information 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:18.360 align:middle line:84% about aviation, and the incredible feat of humankind 00:00:18.360 --> 00:00:21.450 align:middle line:84% to be able to fly through the air. 00:00:21.450 --> 00:00:24.240 align:middle line:84% SARAH HANSEN: Today on the podcast, we're talking flight, 00:00:24.240 --> 00:00:27.060 align:middle line:84% specifically how a course has been designed and refined 00:00:27.060 --> 00:00:31.638 align:middle line:84% to allow hundreds of students to pursue a path toward flying. 00:00:31.638 --> 00:00:33.930 align:middle line:84% TINA SRIVASTAVA: I thought that it was really important 00:00:33.930 --> 00:00:36.720 align:middle line:84% that any student that's interested in this 00:00:36.720 --> 00:00:38.970 align:middle line:84% have the opportunity to learn about airplanes 00:00:38.970 --> 00:00:42.418 align:middle line:84% and learn how to become a pilot themselves. 00:00:42.418 --> 00:00:44.460 align:middle line:84% SARAH HANSEN: Welcome to "Chalk Radio," a podcast 00:00:44.460 --> 00:00:46.620 align:middle line:90% about inspired teaching at MIT. 00:00:46.620 --> 00:00:51.150 align:middle line:84% I'm your host, Sarah Hansen, from MIT OpenCourseWare. 00:00:51.150 --> 00:00:53.580 align:middle line:84% In this episode, we'll be talking about MIT's flight 00:00:53.580 --> 00:00:56.700 align:middle line:84% school with two of its instructors, Philip Greenspun 00:00:56.700 --> 00:00:58.590 align:middle line:90% and Tina Srivastava. 00:00:58.590 --> 00:01:01.440 align:middle line:84% In our conversation, they share how a number of innovations 00:01:01.440 --> 00:01:03.510 align:middle line:84% have made the course incredibly popular, 00:01:03.510 --> 00:01:07.028 align:middle line:84% both in and outside of the MIT community. 00:01:07.028 --> 00:01:08.820 align:middle line:84% Part of why we want to highlight this class 00:01:08.820 --> 00:01:10.320 align:middle line:84% is that its evolution has allowed 00:01:10.320 --> 00:01:13.230 align:middle line:84% for a nimbleness of structure without sacrificing 00:01:13.230 --> 00:01:15.990 align:middle line:84% the effectiveness of its instruction. 00:01:15.990 --> 00:01:17.760 align:middle line:84% It's truly fascinating that something 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:20.070 align:middle line:84% as seemingly technical as flight school 00:01:20.070 --> 00:01:22.170 align:middle line:84% can take so many different shapes. 00:01:22.170 --> 00:01:25.410 align:middle line:84% I wanted to dig into how it's possible to find flexibility 00:01:25.410 --> 00:01:28.140 align:middle line:84% in instruction with such high risks 00:01:28.140 --> 00:01:31.560 align:middle line:84% and, also, what made this course so successful at attracting 00:01:31.560 --> 00:01:34.110 align:middle line:90% and preparing future pilots. 00:01:34.110 --> 00:01:37.680 align:middle line:84% We'll pick up our conversation with Philip and Tina explaining 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:40.260 align:middle line:84% what it means to have access to flight school 00:01:40.260 --> 00:01:43.083 align:middle line:84% and what it really takes to take flight. 00:01:43.083 --> 00:01:44.500 align:middle line:84% PHILIP GREENSPUN: People have been 00:01:44.500 --> 00:01:47.620 align:middle line:84% wanting to fly for thousands of years, 00:01:47.620 --> 00:01:49.510 align:middle line:84% and only in the last 100 years has 00:01:49.510 --> 00:01:51.650 align:middle line:90% it become a practical reality. 00:01:51.650 --> 00:01:55.780 align:middle line:84% And the US is unique, in that it's half or a third 00:01:55.780 --> 00:01:58.330 align:middle line:84% of the price here and much easier to do in the US 00:01:58.330 --> 00:01:59.390 align:middle line:90% than any other country. 00:01:59.390 --> 00:02:03.903 align:middle line:84% So as long as people are here in the US for whatever reason, 00:02:03.903 --> 00:02:05.320 align:middle line:84% they're never going to be probably 00:02:05.320 --> 00:02:08.229 align:middle line:84% more than half an hour's drive, or an hour's drive, 00:02:08.229 --> 00:02:09.759 align:middle line:90% from a flight school. 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:13.150 align:middle line:84% They're going to have the ability just 00:02:13.150 --> 00:02:15.940 align:middle line:84% as an ordinary consumer with a credit card 00:02:15.940 --> 00:02:20.380 align:middle line:84% to spend 5 or 10 hours mastering the basics of flying. 00:02:20.380 --> 00:02:24.390 align:middle line:84% So one thing that I've tried to stress in the class 00:02:24.390 --> 00:02:28.180 align:middle line:84% is that they don't have to commit to getting an FAA Pilot 00:02:28.180 --> 00:02:30.220 align:middle line:84% Certificate, which means that you're safe to be 00:02:30.220 --> 00:02:32.140 align:middle line:90% the only pilot in the aircraft. 00:02:32.140 --> 00:02:33.910 align:middle line:84% You can go down to the flight school. 00:02:33.910 --> 00:02:35.890 align:middle line:84% You can get your hands on the controls, 00:02:35.890 --> 00:02:38.770 align:middle line:84% and within 5 or 10 hours, learn to take off, 00:02:38.770 --> 00:02:41.590 align:middle line:84% fly around, land without the instructor having 00:02:41.590 --> 00:02:44.620 align:middle line:84% to touch anything or say anything, 00:02:44.620 --> 00:02:48.340 align:middle line:84% and that's doable for both airplanes and helicopters. 00:02:48.340 --> 00:02:50.770 align:middle line:84% Just motivating people to try to get up in the air 00:02:50.770 --> 00:02:57.220 align:middle line:84% and enjoy this unusual freedom that we have here in the US. 00:02:57.220 --> 00:03:00.400 align:middle line:84% I jumped in as part of the staff a year ago, 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:03.820 align:middle line:84% and I have spent about a month going through the PowerPoints 00:03:03.820 --> 00:03:08.560 align:middle line:84% to emphasize that this is an activity that 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:14.340 align:middle line:84% can be done safely, especially with a two-pilot crew. 00:03:14.340 --> 00:03:16.720 align:middle line:84% Maybe it's the instructor and the student, 00:03:16.720 --> 00:03:21.520 align:middle line:84% or maybe it's a certificated pilot and another friend 00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:23.710 align:middle line:90% who happens also to be a pilot. 00:03:23.710 --> 00:03:26.860 align:middle line:84% So I did that, and some of it was just wording. 00:03:26.860 --> 00:03:30.040 align:middle line:84% People naturally who are pilots, unfortunately, they'll 00:03:30.040 --> 00:03:34.090 align:middle line:84% tend to stress the hazards and how they avoided them. 00:03:34.090 --> 00:03:37.703 align:middle line:84% I think part of it is it makes them seem more impressive. 00:03:37.703 --> 00:03:39.120 align:middle line:84% So there were a lot of PowerPoints 00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:42.970 align:middle line:84% that says, well, they had the form of, you will die, 00:03:42.970 --> 00:03:45.580 align:middle line:84% if you will do X. So I just edited them to say, 00:03:45.580 --> 00:03:47.697 align:middle line:90% you'll be safe, if you do not X. 00:03:47.697 --> 00:03:48.950 align:middle line:90% SARAH HANSEN: Right. 00:03:48.950 --> 00:03:50.800 align:middle line:84% PHILIP GREENSPUN: But it was still hard. 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:54.802 align:middle line:84% We had a guest lecturer who's an aerobatics instructor. 00:03:54.802 --> 00:03:55.510 align:middle line:90% SARAH HANSEN: OK. 00:03:55.510 --> 00:03:57.070 align:middle line:84% PHILIP GREENSPUN: He spent some time 00:03:57.070 --> 00:04:00.580 align:middle line:84% talking about the hazards of midair collisions 00:04:00.580 --> 00:04:03.760 align:middle line:84% and how people avoid them, but if you look at the data, 00:04:03.760 --> 00:04:05.640 align:middle line:90% that's only 2% of accidents. 00:04:05.640 --> 00:04:08.362 align:middle line:84% It's not a common way to have an accident at all. 00:04:08.362 --> 00:04:09.070 align:middle line:90% SARAH HANSEN: OK. 00:04:09.070 --> 00:04:11.860 align:middle line:84% PHILIP GREENSPUN: Why scare people about it? 00:04:11.860 --> 00:04:14.200 align:middle line:84% Obviously, it's good to avoid any accident. 00:04:14.200 --> 00:04:15.040 align:middle line:90% SARAH HANSEN: Right. 00:04:15.040 --> 00:04:17.704 align:middle line:84% PHILIP GREENSPUN: But he didn't share with the students, look, 00:04:17.704 --> 00:04:20.079 align:middle line:84% I'm telling you about something that accounts for only 2% 00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:21.130 align:middle line:90% of accidents. 00:04:21.130 --> 00:04:22.130 align:middle line:90% SARAH HANSEN: Right. 00:04:22.130 --> 00:04:23.380 align:middle line:84% PHILIP GREENSPUN: They're sitting there terrified 00:04:23.380 --> 00:04:25.838 align:middle line:84% that they'll be flying along, and all of a sudden, somebody 00:04:25.838 --> 00:04:28.500 align:middle line:90% will smash into them. 00:04:28.500 --> 00:04:31.170 align:middle line:90% SARAH HANSEN: Interesting. 00:04:31.170 --> 00:04:34.570 align:middle line:84% The course format has evolved from a weekly two-hour course 00:04:34.570 --> 00:04:37.270 align:middle line:84% taking place over an entire semester 00:04:37.270 --> 00:04:40.600 align:middle line:84% and turned into an intensive three-day program. 00:04:40.600 --> 00:04:43.533 align:middle line:84% This change has created more interest in the program 00:04:43.533 --> 00:04:44.950 align:middle line:84% and allowed more and more students 00:04:44.950 --> 00:04:48.700 align:middle line:84% to not only pass the FAA exam, which is the course's intended 00:04:48.700 --> 00:04:51.940 align:middle line:84% goal, but to go on and actually earn their Private Pilot 00:04:51.940 --> 00:04:54.310 align:middle line:90% Certificate. 00:04:54.310 --> 00:04:55.810 align:middle line:84% TINA SRIVASTAVA: So I got engaged 00:04:55.810 --> 00:05:01.510 align:middle line:84% in the course 16.687, the Private Pilot Ground School, 00:05:01.510 --> 00:05:03.220 align:middle line:90% in 2015. 00:05:03.220 --> 00:05:08.200 align:middle line:84% At the time, I was completing my doctorate at MIT, 00:05:08.200 --> 00:05:12.700 align:middle line:84% and as we continued teach the course, over time, 00:05:12.700 --> 00:05:15.850 align:middle line:84% we discussed the potential of changing 00:05:15.850 --> 00:05:19.420 align:middle line:84% the structure of the course, and last year 00:05:19.420 --> 00:05:23.020 align:middle line:84% was the first time we changed the structure of the course. 00:05:23.020 --> 00:05:25.720 align:middle line:84% So instead of being two-hour lectures 00:05:25.720 --> 00:05:29.050 align:middle line:84% in the evenings over the full spring semester, 00:05:29.050 --> 00:05:33.370 align:middle line:84% it became the three-day intensive course. 00:05:33.370 --> 00:05:35.140 align:middle line:84% In the new learning format, I think 00:05:35.140 --> 00:05:40.150 align:middle line:84% the advantages are that the students can focus exclusively 00:05:40.150 --> 00:05:41.628 align:middle line:90% on this course for three days. 00:05:41.628 --> 00:05:42.420 align:middle line:90% SARAH HANSEN: Sure. 00:05:42.420 --> 00:05:45.070 align:middle line:84% TINA SRIVASTAVA: So they're not distracted with other courses 00:05:45.070 --> 00:05:47.140 align:middle line:90% or other activities. 00:05:47.140 --> 00:05:50.320 align:middle line:84% They're just focused and living and breathing everything 00:05:50.320 --> 00:05:53.060 align:middle line:84% about becoming a pilot that's necessary, 00:05:53.060 --> 00:05:54.790 align:middle line:84% and I think that level of engagement 00:05:54.790 --> 00:05:57.190 align:middle line:84% has a different set of advantages. 00:05:57.190 --> 00:06:01.090 align:middle line:84% And so last year was the pilot of the new format, 00:06:01.090 --> 00:06:03.280 align:middle line:84% and it was very successful in many ways. 00:06:03.280 --> 00:06:07.360 align:middle line:84% We had about 101 students on the first day, 00:06:07.360 --> 00:06:10.900 align:middle line:84% and we completed the course with about 98 students. 00:06:10.900 --> 00:06:13.810 align:middle line:84% That was a big accomplishment, and we 00:06:13.810 --> 00:06:15.520 align:middle line:84% engaged a lot of the students again, 00:06:15.520 --> 00:06:20.050 align:middle line:84% in terms of not only completing and passing the FAA exam 00:06:20.050 --> 00:06:23.470 align:middle line:84% but continuing that enthusiasm and getting their Private Pilot 00:06:23.470 --> 00:06:25.220 align:middle line:90% Certificate. 00:06:25.220 --> 00:06:27.560 align:middle line:84% SARAH HANSEN: In my conversation with Philip and Tina, 00:06:27.560 --> 00:06:29.240 align:middle line:84% it became clear that there was something 00:06:29.240 --> 00:06:33.200 align:middle line:84% important about having this class meet in person. 00:06:33.200 --> 00:06:36.500 align:middle line:84% It seems like exactly the kind of content that might easily 00:06:36.500 --> 00:06:38.970 align:middle line:84% be converted to an online format, 00:06:38.970 --> 00:06:41.900 align:middle line:84% but there was something that made an in-person gathering not 00:06:41.900 --> 00:06:44.810 align:middle line:90% just useful but essential here. 00:06:44.810 --> 00:06:49.060 align:middle line:84% So I asked them, why not just do this online? 00:06:49.060 --> 00:06:50.710 align:middle line:84% PHILIP GREENSPUN: So MIT students 00:06:50.710 --> 00:06:55.720 align:middle line:84% are really good at reading books, and this material, 00:06:55.720 --> 00:06:59.860 align:middle line:84% to pass the test, you can self-study successfully. 00:06:59.860 --> 00:07:01.810 align:middle line:84% People do that at commercial flight schools. 00:07:01.810 --> 00:07:04.510 align:middle line:84% They just go home, and they read all the FAA books which 00:07:04.510 --> 00:07:07.120 align:middle line:90% are available online in PDF. 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:10.750 align:middle line:84% So yes, you have to ask yourself, 00:07:10.750 --> 00:07:13.870 align:middle line:84% what's the purpose of even having 00:07:13.870 --> 00:07:17.410 align:middle line:84% lecture halls and a university, when there is so much available 00:07:17.410 --> 00:07:19.900 align:middle line:84% online, and when you have a population of people 00:07:19.900 --> 00:07:21.610 align:middle line:90% who are great readers? 00:07:21.610 --> 00:07:25.330 align:middle line:84% And reading is three times faster than listening, 00:07:25.330 --> 00:07:29.620 align:middle line:84% in terms of just being able to get through information. 00:07:29.620 --> 00:07:31.570 align:middle line:84% So that was part of why we said, well, 00:07:31.570 --> 00:07:34.060 align:middle line:84% look, we can do this in three days, 00:07:34.060 --> 00:07:38.130 align:middle line:84% because we're not going to try to cover everything 00:07:38.130 --> 00:07:39.580 align:middle line:90% and spoon feed it to people. 00:07:39.580 --> 00:07:40.590 align:middle line:90% They can read the book. 00:07:40.590 --> 00:07:43.290 align:middle line:84% So we'll ask them to do a little bit of pre-reading, 00:07:43.290 --> 00:07:45.950 align:middle line:84% and they we'll inspire them, we hope, 00:07:45.950 --> 00:07:49.420 align:middle line:84% with the in-person experience, and then 00:07:49.420 --> 00:07:51.550 align:middle line:90% they can go back to the books. 00:07:51.550 --> 00:07:54.940 align:middle line:84% Whereas, I think the traditional class 00:07:54.940 --> 00:07:57.910 align:middle line:84% assumes that people don't have access 00:07:57.910 --> 00:07:59.920 align:middle line:84% to a lot of information outside of the course. 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:00.490 align:middle line:90% SARAH HANSEN: I see. 00:08:00.490 --> 00:08:01.870 align:middle line:84% PHILIP GREENSPUN: Or that they have 00:08:01.870 --> 00:08:04.453 align:middle line:84% to be just guided, where they'll spoon-feed you with a problem 00:08:04.453 --> 00:08:06.610 align:middle line:90% set or a reading assignment. 00:08:06.610 --> 00:08:08.260 align:middle line:84% TINA SRIVASTAVA: Yes, absolutely. 00:08:08.260 --> 00:08:11.860 align:middle line:84% I would even say that less than half of the course 00:08:11.860 --> 00:08:16.370 align:middle line:84% was about the FAA knowledge of them, 00:08:16.370 --> 00:08:18.190 align:middle line:84% and the reason I would say that is 00:08:18.190 --> 00:08:23.200 align:middle line:84% that I think that so much more of the course 00:08:23.200 --> 00:08:27.450 align:middle line:90% was about becoming a pilot. 00:08:27.450 --> 00:08:30.330 align:middle line:84% A lot of the discussion and the interaction 00:08:30.330 --> 00:08:32.850 align:middle line:84% and the interactive discussions were really 00:08:32.850 --> 00:08:39.960 align:middle line:84% focused on decision-making which is very critical for a pilot. 00:08:39.960 --> 00:08:43.830 align:middle line:84% Just because you can answer a factual question 00:08:43.830 --> 00:08:47.790 align:middle line:84% about the weather, for example, doesn't necessarily 00:08:47.790 --> 00:08:53.310 align:middle line:84% mean you've fully evaluated whether it is safe to fly, 00:08:53.310 --> 00:08:57.270 align:middle line:84% whether there are alternate options available, how 00:08:57.270 --> 00:09:01.560 align:middle line:84% you go through that whole decision-making process. 00:09:01.560 --> 00:09:06.000 align:middle line:84% We discuss everything from aircraft ownership, shared 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:11.310 align:middle line:84% rentals, flying with friends, going on vacations, 00:09:11.310 --> 00:09:14.100 align:middle line:84% to really try to share with students 00:09:14.100 --> 00:09:17.190 align:middle line:84% how they could be empowered as a pilot, 00:09:17.190 --> 00:09:20.190 align:middle line:84% and we provided a lot of tips and insight 00:09:20.190 --> 00:09:22.810 align:middle line:90% from our own flying experience. 00:09:22.810 --> 00:09:26.580 align:middle line:84% For example, in the case of night flying, 00:09:26.580 --> 00:09:29.850 align:middle line:84% the idea of trying to take off before the sun 00:09:29.850 --> 00:09:33.990 align:middle line:84% has set, so that you begin to acclimate to the night 00:09:33.990 --> 00:09:36.180 align:middle line:90% environment over time. 00:09:36.180 --> 00:09:39.570 align:middle line:84% These types of insights and experiences 00:09:39.570 --> 00:09:42.840 align:middle line:84% are not part of the FAA knowledge exam 00:09:42.840 --> 00:09:45.420 align:middle line:84% but were some of the most important pieces 00:09:45.420 --> 00:09:48.650 align:middle line:84% of the course based on the student feedback we received. 00:09:48.650 --> 00:09:51.060 align:middle line:84% So it's really about what the students are 00:09:51.060 --> 00:09:53.760 align:middle line:90% interested in and engaged in. 00:09:53.760 --> 00:09:56.340 align:middle line:84% Throughout the three-day class, we also 00:09:56.340 --> 00:10:00.420 align:middle line:84% have a number of breaks, and at every single break, 00:10:00.420 --> 00:10:05.160 align:middle line:84% we would have students come up and either share an experience 00:10:05.160 --> 00:10:08.100 align:middle line:84% or ask a question or for clarification. 00:10:08.100 --> 00:10:10.230 align:middle line:84% And that type of feedback also helps 00:10:10.230 --> 00:10:12.940 align:middle line:84% us inform how we taught the class 00:10:12.940 --> 00:10:15.750 align:middle line:84% and how we connected different elements of the course 00:10:15.750 --> 00:10:18.810 align:middle line:84% together to help answer or provide 00:10:18.810 --> 00:10:20.940 align:middle line:84% some enlightenment on a particular topic 00:10:20.940 --> 00:10:22.500 align:middle line:84% and how it relates to other topics. 00:10:22.500 --> 00:10:26.565 align:middle line:90% 00:10:26.565 --> 00:10:27.940 align:middle line:84% SARAH HANSEN: One of the things I 00:10:27.940 --> 00:10:31.060 align:middle line:84% was most curious about was how Tina and Philip were 00:10:31.060 --> 00:10:35.200 align:middle line:84% able to bring over 100 students working at different paces 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:37.180 align:middle line:90% through this material. 00:10:37.180 --> 00:10:39.520 align:middle line:84% These classes are often so full that there's 00:10:39.520 --> 00:10:43.270 align:middle line:84% a whole other overflow classroom to accommodate the numbers. 00:10:43.270 --> 00:10:45.010 align:middle line:90% What does it take to do that? 00:10:45.010 --> 00:10:47.243 align:middle line:90% 00:10:47.243 --> 00:10:48.910 align:middle line:84% TINA SRIVASTAVA: One of the ways that we 00:10:48.910 --> 00:10:53.140 align:middle line:84% engage them is a traditional method of just asking 00:10:53.140 --> 00:10:55.390 align:middle line:84% a lot of questions, and we would call up 00:10:55.390 --> 00:10:57.930 align:middle line:90% students to answer them. 00:10:57.930 --> 00:11:01.120 align:middle line:84% So we had a very engaged group of folks. 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:02.950 align:middle line:84% Sometimes, we'd asked questions, where 00:11:02.950 --> 00:11:06.420 align:middle line:84% we'd ask students to raise their hand to give us an answer, 00:11:06.420 --> 00:11:09.472 align:middle line:84% and sometimes, we'd ask students to shout out an answer. 00:11:09.472 --> 00:11:10.180 align:middle line:90% SARAH HANSEN: OK. 00:11:10.180 --> 00:11:11.638 align:middle line:84% TINA SRIVASTAVA: A couple of times, 00:11:11.638 --> 00:11:15.430 align:middle line:84% we used some FAA practice exam questions, 00:11:15.430 --> 00:11:19.430 align:middle line:84% and we would have students raise their hands, 00:11:19.430 --> 00:11:22.780 align:middle line:84% whether they thought it was A, B, or C. 00:11:22.780 --> 00:11:27.430 align:middle line:84% And depending on how divided students were on the answer, 00:11:27.430 --> 00:11:30.370 align:middle line:84% we knew whether we needed to spend more time on the topic 00:11:30.370 --> 00:11:31.460 align:middle line:90% or not. 00:11:31.460 --> 00:11:35.140 align:middle line:84% So for example, one of the questions that we asked them 00:11:35.140 --> 00:11:38.650 align:middle line:84% was a real question from the FAA exam and a question 00:11:38.650 --> 00:11:43.810 align:middle line:84% that I got on my own FAA exam which was about right of way, 00:11:43.810 --> 00:11:44.632 align:middle line:90% when you're flying. 00:11:44.632 --> 00:11:45.340 align:middle line:90% SARAH HANSEN: OK. 00:11:45.340 --> 00:11:47.215 align:middle line:84% TINA SRIVASTAVA: So it was, if you're flying, 00:11:47.215 --> 00:11:50.320 align:middle line:84% and there is an aircraft refueling 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:54.730 align:middle line:84% another aircraft, a glider and a blimp, 00:11:54.730 --> 00:11:56.632 align:middle line:90% which has the right of way? 00:11:56.632 --> 00:11:57.340 align:middle line:90% SARAH HANSEN: Oh. 00:11:57.340 --> 00:11:59.548 align:middle line:84% TINA SRIVASTAVA: And this was a really good question, 00:11:59.548 --> 00:12:02.190 align:middle line:84% and it generated a lot of differences of opinion. 00:12:02.190 --> 00:12:05.900 align:middle line:84% We had basically a split of students 00:12:05.900 --> 00:12:08.370 align:middle line:90% guessing all of three options. 00:12:08.370 --> 00:12:11.680 align:middle line:84% So I'll leave that interesting question there 00:12:11.680 --> 00:12:13.330 align:middle line:84% without the answer, so you'll have 00:12:13.330 --> 00:12:15.102 align:middle line:90% to view the course to find out. 00:12:15.102 --> 00:12:16.060 align:middle line:90% PHILIP GREENSPUN: Yeah. 00:12:16.060 --> 00:12:20.320 align:middle line:84% I guess what I would add is that it was good to have-- 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:24.490 align:middle line:84% we had fairly frequent coffee breaks and a pizza break, 00:12:24.490 --> 00:12:26.410 align:middle line:90% but a lot of it was-- 00:12:26.410 --> 00:12:29.710 align:middle line:84% the slide presentation to the students-- 00:12:29.710 --> 00:12:32.260 align:middle line:84% was really there to set the stage. 00:12:32.260 --> 00:12:35.920 align:middle line:84% And just having Tina there with a PhD in aero-astro, 00:12:35.920 --> 00:12:38.213 align:middle line:84% that's way above and beyond what people 00:12:38.213 --> 00:12:39.880 align:middle line:84% would have available in a typical flight 00:12:39.880 --> 00:12:42.580 align:middle line:84% school to really look at the engineering trade-offs 00:12:42.580 --> 00:12:44.610 align:middle line:84% instead of just saying, this is how it works. 00:12:44.610 --> 00:12:46.570 align:middle line:90% Here's your Cessna. 00:12:46.570 --> 00:12:50.530 align:middle line:84% It converged on this design sometime between the '30s 00:12:50.530 --> 00:12:52.210 align:middle line:90% and '40s. 00:12:52.210 --> 00:12:54.700 align:middle line:84% One good thing about aviation is there's a huge amount 00:12:54.700 --> 00:12:56.570 align:middle line:90% of government-produced stuff. 00:12:56.570 --> 00:13:02.410 align:middle line:84% The FAA has done a good to great job 00:13:02.410 --> 00:13:07.090 align:middle line:84% about making graphics available for every kind of aviation 00:13:07.090 --> 00:13:08.410 align:middle line:90% topic. 00:13:08.410 --> 00:13:14.480 align:middle line:84% So we mined a lot of this public domain material from the FAA. 00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:16.230 align:middle line:84% SARAH HANSEN: While having these materials 00:13:16.230 --> 00:13:18.120 align:middle line:84% accessible in the public domain can 00:13:18.120 --> 00:13:21.750 align:middle line:84% be a real boon to anyone teaching complex materials, 00:13:21.750 --> 00:13:24.570 align:middle line:84% it's rarely enough just to point to the resources 00:13:24.570 --> 00:13:27.030 align:middle line:84% and expect the knowledge to sink in. 00:13:27.030 --> 00:13:30.300 align:middle line:84% I wanted to know how these elaborate and math-intensive 00:13:30.300 --> 00:13:32.790 align:middle line:84% concepts were conveyed to students in a way that 00:13:32.790 --> 00:13:36.510 align:middle line:84% empowered them not only to pass the FAA knowledge test 00:13:36.510 --> 00:13:39.570 align:middle line:84% but to be informed, practicing pilots. 00:13:39.570 --> 00:13:42.660 align:middle line:84% To conclude our conversation, I asked Tina and Philip 00:13:42.660 --> 00:13:46.140 align:middle line:84% how they go about creating clear and useful instruction 00:13:46.140 --> 00:13:49.770 align:middle line:84% on complex topics, and they told me about a critical lesson 00:13:49.770 --> 00:13:54.263 align:middle line:84% in the class, weight and balance. 00:13:54.263 --> 00:13:55.930 align:middle line:84% TINA SRIVASTAVA: For weight and balance, 00:13:55.930 --> 00:14:00.400 align:middle line:84% what you're talking about is how you load the aircraft, in terms 00:14:00.400 --> 00:14:03.580 align:middle line:84% of the fuel, the passengers, the baggage, 00:14:03.580 --> 00:14:06.200 align:middle line:90% and how that affects the flight. 00:14:06.200 --> 00:14:08.710 align:middle line:84% And so we used a physical model airplane 00:14:08.710 --> 00:14:11.920 align:middle line:84% to really demonstrate the effect on an airplane, 00:14:11.920 --> 00:14:17.410 align:middle line:84% if your center of gravity was too far aft on the airplane. 00:14:17.410 --> 00:14:20.920 align:middle line:84% We also solicited input from the classroom 00:14:20.920 --> 00:14:24.910 align:middle line:84% regarding their weight and weights of bags. 00:14:24.910 --> 00:14:27.280 align:middle line:84% We gave them some insights and tips 00:14:27.280 --> 00:14:30.400 align:middle line:84% that whenever they're flying to not necessarily trust 00:14:30.400 --> 00:14:32.020 align:middle line:84% what their passengers tell them is 00:14:32.020 --> 00:14:34.600 align:middle line:90% the weight, their own weight. 00:14:34.600 --> 00:14:37.870 align:middle line:84% So to be safety conscious, maybe apply a factor of safety 00:14:37.870 --> 00:14:40.300 align:middle line:84% on what your friend tells you that they weight, 00:14:40.300 --> 00:14:44.830 align:middle line:84% and we used a book to show how you can do calculations. 00:14:44.830 --> 00:14:50.020 align:middle line:84% And we also went live online to the website of certain flight 00:14:50.020 --> 00:14:54.940 align:middle line:84% schools to show how you can find the exact gross weight 00:14:54.940 --> 00:14:58.120 align:middle line:84% and loading characteristics of different aircraft 00:14:58.120 --> 00:15:00.850 align:middle line:84% and different online calculators that 00:15:00.850 --> 00:15:04.880 align:middle line:84% calculate weight and balance for you and project that. 00:15:04.880 --> 00:15:06.820 align:middle line:84% And then finally, we also showed how 00:15:06.820 --> 00:15:10.330 align:middle line:84% to do those calculations on an iPad with foreign flights. 00:15:10.330 --> 00:15:12.820 align:middle line:84% So we showed, again, different ways 00:15:12.820 --> 00:15:16.310 align:middle line:84% to approach the same information and materials. 00:15:16.310 --> 00:15:20.110 align:middle line:84% So that it wasn't just an academic description of how 00:15:20.110 --> 00:15:22.930 align:middle line:84% to calculate weight and balance, but truly 00:15:22.930 --> 00:15:25.510 align:middle line:84% how they would do that as a pilot, 00:15:25.510 --> 00:15:27.880 align:middle line:84% not just the FAA regulations for it, 00:15:27.880 --> 00:15:30.910 align:middle line:84% but how they would go about doing that for a flight 00:15:30.910 --> 00:15:32.756 align:middle line:90% that they fly on. 00:15:32.756 --> 00:15:36.158 align:middle line:90% [PLANE ENGINE] 00:15:36.158 --> 00:15:41.990 align:middle line:90% 00:15:41.990 --> 00:15:45.392 align:middle line:90% [MUSIC PLAYING] 00:15:45.392 --> 00:15:45.645 align:middle line:90% 00:15:45.645 --> 00:15:47.770 align:middle line:84% SARAH HANSEN: If you're interested in learning more 00:15:47.770 --> 00:15:51.323 align:middle line:84% about becoming a pilot or just about the flight school itself, 00:15:51.323 --> 00:15:52.990 align:middle line:84% you can find the flight school materials 00:15:52.990 --> 00:15:57.490 align:middle line:90% on our website at ocw.mit.edu. 00:15:57.490 --> 00:16:00.100 align:middle line:84% And if you're an educator, check out our special portal 00:16:00.100 --> 00:16:06.970 align:middle line:84% on the site just for you at ocw.mit.edu/educator. 00:16:06.970 --> 00:16:09.040 align:middle line:84% Thank you so much for listening, and if you 00:16:09.040 --> 00:16:10.840 align:middle line:84% like what you've heard so far, please 00:16:10.840 --> 00:16:14.260 align:middle line:84% consider subscribing and leaving us a review. 00:16:14.260 --> 00:16:17.210 align:middle line:84% Until next time, I'm Sarah Hansen from OCW. 00:16:17.210 --> 00:16:20.560 align:middle line:90% [MUSIC PLAYING] 00:16:20.560 --> 00:16:30.000 align:middle line:90%