Education

A significant part of ARC's charitable mission is education. Both the traditional race and the ARC Air Derby provide great opportunities for contestants to expand their knowledge and improve their abilities in all areas of aviation including piloting, flight planning, navigation, and decision-making.

For both events, registration and preparation require contestants to further their knowledge of aviation regulations and of the airplane they will be flying. Each contestant must complete one or more online education courses and online technology and safety briefings. And flying both events packs a wealth of learning opportunities.

The ARC Air Derby includes creating a route, allowing many Teams to become more familiar with the navigation applications they use as well as the use of latitude/longitude coordinates. Estimating the time it will take to fly their route requires the use of time/speed/distance calculations while considering the one required landing on the route. Precisely flying the route and crossing the waypoints per the Rules sharpens navigation skills and encourages Teams to learn more about their airplane and its navigation equipment. And Teams must decide the date and time of day to fly and how to manage the flight to get closest to their estimated time.

During the traditional Race where there are large gatherings in one location, the ARC sponsors group events and activities for youth and adults alike to learn more about aviation. Racers participate in these events, which enhances everyone's experience and adds to the educational experience gained from racing. Contestants in the ARC Air Derby have the opportunity to become involved locally with aviation organizations, flight schools. Boy/Girl Scouts, their kids' or grandkids' schools, or by sharing their adventure with a student pilot as a teammate.

Interested in learning more? Check out the links on the right, or contact ARC Education for more information.