Our First Real Grant!

Note to myself, link in the proposal.

Packages and a cart

Ever since the pandemic struck, our supplies have been sitting in the school in room D002. The things purchased with the grant were also there. This needed to be addressed.

Shoutout to Mr. Ruocchio—the best earth science teacher—for letting me borrow this cart. Here it is seen holding the foamboard that Mr. Johnson donated.

Earlier today, I picked up some of these materials bought with the grant along with the foamboard.

The long wait is over, we now have $1750 at our disposal!

Earlier this month, we were confirmed for the Patrick Wang Grant!

With this source of funds, we bought some stuff.

Now what will we do with this stuff? With this stuff, Niels and I will make kits (this time including electronics), enabling the construction of the Flite Test Mini Mighty Trainer.

These kits will then be distributed to the club’s members and they will build them at home during weekly meetings. When everyone has finished building, we will meet at a local park while socially distancing and wearing masks to teach others how to fly.

However, this not our first source of funding

The first funds were donated from the one and only amazing Mr. Johnson, State College Area High School’s principal. He bought us 50 sheets of foam-board out of which we started building airplanes, I mean chuck-gliders, until the pandemic hit.

We also received a small grant for $200 from the PTSO, which we are planning to keep as a rainy-day fund.

What good is a chuck glider?

Pretty useless and boring I dare say! But, it was certainly a step in the right direction.

All of this glider business is about to change as we have some significant funds at our disposal thanks to the Patrick Wang Grant. We have already bought some of the electronics and parts, so that everyone in the club can build their own airplanes and learn how to fly them.

The reason it’s only some of the parts is because the school still needs to approve some of the vendors. Do not fret, we are working on this currently.

Implementation timeline

Dec-Jan: Niels and I make and distribute the kits

Jan-March: Members will build the aircraft

March-April: Meet in a local park and teach members how to fly

April-June: Keep flying, transition from the large wing to the sports-style wing with ailerons, and maybe build some new aircraft