Airborne Wonders – Avionics ECA at Dwight School Dubai
Airborne Wonders is a premium Extra-Curricular Activity (ECA) club designed for students from Grade 2 to Grade 9 at Dwight School Dubai. This exclusive avionics club goes beyond textbooks. Students explore real aviation concepts, build flying models, and experience how aircraft systems work through practical, hands-on learning — right inside their school.
This is not a regular club.
It’s a future-focused aviation experience.
Through this ECA, students will:
- Understand the science of flight
- Work hands-on with aviation systems
- Design and build flying models
- Strengthen engineering and problem-solving skills
What Students Will Be Doing
Below are the exciting hands-on activities that students will participate in as part of the Airborne Wonders ECA.
| Sr. No. | G2-G3 | G4-G5 | G6-G7 | G8-G9 |
| 1 | Parachute Making - Students craft parachutes from plastic sheets and string, testing descent time with varied canopy sizes. | Parachute Building & Payload Testing - Students construct parachutes from plastic sheets and string, testing descent time with varied payloads using a stopwatch. They adjust canopy sizes to optimize stability, learning about drag and weight distribution. | Bottle Rocket Engine Launching (BETA) - Students launch bottle rockets powered by water or air pressure, measuring height and flight stability. They explore thrust, aerodynamics, and design improvements through simulation | Bottle Rocket Engine Launching (BETA) - Students test bottle rockets powered by water or air pressure, measuring height and flight stability in the testing machine. They explore thrust, aerodynamics, and design improvements. |
| 2 | Kite Building - Students construct mini kites using straws, sticks, and paper, testing lift with a lab fan or string. | Hydro Boosters - Students build bottle rockets with fins, launching them using water and air pressure to measure flight height. They test fin shapes to improve stability, exploring thrust and aerodynamics. | Parachute Building & Payload Testing - Students construct parachutes and attach payloads. They test descent time, adjust canopy size, and learn about drag, weight distribution, and safe landing principles. | Parachute Building & Payload Testing - Students construct parachutes and attach payloads. They test descent times, adjust canopy size, and learn about drag, weight distribution, and safe landing principles. |
| 3 | Hot Air Balloon - Students build hot air balloons using plastic bags and wire, measuring lift with a heat source in the lab. | Rubber-Powered Glider - Students build gliders with rubber band propellers, measuring flight distance with a tape measure. They adjust tension to improve glide, exploring energy transfer and lift principles. | Hydro Boosters with Parachute Challenge - Students build bottle rockets with fins and parachute recovery. They measure flight height, test fin designs, and explore stability, thrust, and aerodynamics. | Hydro Boosters with Parachute Challenge - Students build bottle rockets with fins and parachute recovery. They test flight height, fin designs, and explore stability, thrust, and aerodynamics. |
| 4 | Hydro Rocket - Students create bottle rockets, launch them using air pressure, and measure flight height. | Drone Frame Designing - Students 3D design lightweight drone frames using TinkerCAD and a 3D printer, measuring weight with a scale. They test structural balance by suspending frames, learning about stability and engineering design. | Building Foam Gliders and Flight Tests - Students assemble foam gliders, measure wing angles with a protractor, and adjust weights to optimize flight. They test glide distance and learn lift and balance principles. | Drone Frame Designing - Students 3D design lightweight drone frames using TinkerCAD and 3D printers. They measure weight, test structural balance, and learn engineering design and stability principles. |
| 5 | Flight Simulator - Students use a virtual flight simulator to learn basic flight controls and navigation. | Drone Challenge - Students construct simple drones with 3D printed frames, motors, and propellers, testing flight control and balance in a timed challenge. They adjust components to optimize performance, exploring multirotor dynamics. | Drone Frame Designing - Students 3D design lightweight drone frames using TinkerCAD and a 3D printer. They measure weight, test structural balance, and learn engineering design and stability concepts. | Calibration Drone Challenge - Students assemble drones with 3D printed frames, motors, and propellers. They test flight control and balance in a timed challenge, adjusting components to optimize performance and explore multirotor dynamics. |
| 6 | Drone Flying - Students test balance and control of lightweight drones in a safe environment. | RC Plane Flying Experience - Students fly RC planes in a controlled environment, learning basic flight control, maneuvers, and stability principles. | Calibration Drone Challenge - Students construct simple drones with 3D printed frames, motors, and propellers. They test flight control and balance in a timed challenge, adjusting components to optimize performance and explore multirotor dynamics. | FPV Drone and Flight Simulator Challenge - Students practice first-person view (FPV) drone flying and virtual flight simulators. They learn navigation, precision control, and scenario-based problem solving. |
| 7 | Rubber-Powered Gliders - Students assemble balsa gliders powered by rubber bands, testing flight distance and stability. | FPV Drone Simulator in VR - Students practice first-person view (FPV) drone flying using simulators, learning navigation, precision, and control. | FPV Drone Simulator Challenge - Students practice first-person view (FPV) drone flying using simulators. They learn navigation in VR, precision control, and scenario-based problem solving. | Programmable Drone Challenge - Students program drones to follow specific flight paths or perform tasks, learning coding, loops, and sensor integration for autonomous operations. |
| 8 | Paper Plane Challenge - Students fold different paper plane designs, measuring glide distance and flight stability. | Flight Simulator - Students use virtual flight simulators on computers, measuring control response times with a stopwatch and navigating different flight scenarios. | Programmable Drone - Students program drones to follow specific flight paths or perform tasks, learning basic coding, loops, and sensor integration. | Building Hovercraft - Students construct small hovercrafts using lightweight materials and balloons. They test lift, friction reduction, and motion efficiency on flat surfaces. |
| 9 | Chemical Blastoff Rocket - Students build small rockets using baking soda and vinegar, measuring flight height. | Programmable Drone - Students program drones to follow specific flight paths or perform tasks, learning basic coding, loops, and sensor integration. | Building Hovercraft - Students construct small hovercrafts using lightweight materials. They test lift, friction reduction, and motion efficiency on flat surfaces. | Building Foam Gliders and Flight Tests - Students assemble foam gliders, measure wing angles, and adjust weights to optimize glide distance and stability. They study lift, balance, and aerodynamic principles. |
| 10 | Straw Rocket Launcher - Students make rockets from straws and paper, launching them manually and testing flight distance. | Bottle Rocket Engine Launching Challenge - Students launch water or air-powered bottle rockets to achieve maximum height, learning about thrust, aerodynamics, and stability in simulator machine. | Flight Simulator - Students use virtual flight simulators on computers, measuring control response times and navigating scenarios to understand cockpit operations and flight dynamics. | Building the RC Paraglider Structure - Students construct the structural frame of an RC paraglider, focusing on frame strength, and overall balance. |
