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Flight

When you think about flight you might think of many different things. Perhaps you picture a bird flying gracefully through the air. Maybe you envision a blimp hovering over a stadium. It could be that you think of a rocket being launched, a jet streaking by, or a kite dancing in the wind! Regardless of what comes to mind when you think of flight, there's sure to be a website about it. Using those same categories which we established for our books about flight, we have gathered the following flight related websites. Many of the websites have direct connections to books that we have highlighted. For our list of books about flight, go to http://www.umbc.edu/esip/books/galore/flight.html.

The Wright Brothers

UEET.NASA

http://www.ueet.nasa.gov/StudentSite/

This site from NASA's Ultra Efficient Engine Technology Program is designed for kids and touches on aeronautics, the history and dynamics of flight, airplanes, and engines. Visitors can play several games, including "The Wright Brothers Game" and "The Plane Game."

Wright Again

http://wings.avkids.com/Book/Wright/

"Join us as we create one of history's greatest adventures in science" is the invitation issued to visitors of this website. The website claims to be "unique in that it follows the progress of the Wrights day by day, explains the successes and setbacks from a scientific perspective (aerodynamic, propulsion, control and structural) and extrapolates the lessons learned to useful, meaningful classroom lessons and hands-on activities based on the national science standards."

(The) Wright Brothers

http://www.fi.edu/wright/

The visuals are the strength of this site which even shows pages from notebooks where the Wright Brothers recorded their data.

(The) Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company and Museum of Pioneer Aviation Home Page

http://www.first-to-fly.com/

This online "museum of pioneer aviation" features historic photographs, well-written text, and directions on how to build a kite just like one that the Wright Brothers built and flew.

Wright Stories

http://www.wrightstories.com/archives.html

Select from archived stories that "celebrate the success of the Wright Brothers." Categories include Inventing the Airplane, Wright Contemporaries, The Kitty Hawk Years and more.

Disasters in Flight

NASA Apollo Mission Apollo 1

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/Apollo204/

Find out more about the Apollo 1 tragedy. Read biographies of the crew who died tragically in this flight. Read the reports from the investigation of this disaster. There is also a gallery of photos.

NASA Space Shuttle Columbia and Her Crew

http://www.nasa.gov/columbia/home/index.html

This site devoted to the Space Shuttle Columbia and her crew contains news reports, crew profiles, a mission overview, and official records that have been made public.

Careers in Flight

How Becoming an Airline Pilot Works

http://travel.howstuffworks.com/pilot.htm

Do you have students who are interested in a career as an airline pilot? (Or maybe you are interested.) Find out more about the education and training that is needed to become a pilot.

How Do You Become an Astronaut?

http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/outreach/jobsinfo/astronaut.html

This website from NASA provides information for astronaut hopefuls.

The History of Flight and Flight Pioneers

Amelia Earhart

http://www.ellensplace.net/eae_intr.html

At this site, visitors can choose to find out about "The Early Years", the "Celebrity" and the "Last Flight" of Amelia Earhart. While there, you can also learn about the "Earhart Project" and what is being done to solve the mystery of Amelia Earhart's disappearance.

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Celebrating the Evolution of Flight

'http://www.flight100.org/history_intro.html

This site from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics allows visitors to click on areas of a flight timeline to learn about important flight events. There are pioneer profiles and a section devoted to flight around the world.

Bessie Coleman

http://www.bessiecoleman.com/

Find out about Bessie Coleman's hopes and dreams, and what motivated her to become a flier.

Black Wings: African American Pioneer Aviators

http://www.nasm.si.edu/features/blackwings/

This online exhibit from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum "tells the story of how one group of Americans overcame enormous obstacles to break into aviation."

Charles Lindbergh

http://www.charleslindbergh.com/

This website devoted to Charles Lindbergh is the complete package! There are timelines, primary documents, movie clips, press releases, and much, much more. Visit the site again and again for featured updates and the discussion center.

Flights of Inspiration

http://www.fi.edu/flights/index.html

Visitors might become so inspired from reading about the flight at Kitty Hawk or the Alcock and Brown flight across the Atlantic that they'll want to take a flight of their own. This site issues a challenge for visitors to design their own model aircraft.

Tuskegee Airmen Inc.

http://tuskegeeairmen.org/

This site provides historical information as well as up-to-date news about America's first black military airmen, the Tuskegee Airmen.

The Space Race

Kennedy Space Center: Launching a Vision

http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/

In the KSC multimedia gallery, visitors can conduct a keyword search for photographs and videos. You can learn about upcoming launches and landings and read the news. There are featured videos and some downloadable screensavers and wallpaper for your computer.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

http://www.nasa.gov/

Special sections for kids, students, educators, and the press make this site easy to navigate. A multimedia section takes visitors to photos, videos, and information about NASA television. There's a section titled Popular Topics with subcategories that include Our Solar System and The International Space Station. Stay informed about latest breaking news. You can even design your own MyNASA page.

(The) Space Race

http://www.thespacerace.com/

If you want to find out about the Mercury, Gemini, or Apollo programs, this site is definitely worth a visit. There are photographs and videos, short biographies, and a FAQ section.

Space Race Exhibition

http://www.nasm.si.edu/galleries/gal114/gal114.htm

At the website for the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, visitors can look at online exhibits such as Space Race, How Things Fly, and Apollo to the Moon.

Birds and Other "Flying Machines"

(The) Aerodynamics of Animals

http://wings.avkids.com/Book/Animals/intermediate/birds-01.html

Why can birds fly but people can't? This site looks at birds…what makes a bird a bird and why their special features enable them to take flight.

Gomberg Kites: How to Fly

http://www.gombergkites.com/how.html

"If you are looking for basic information on how to get your kite off the ground, you've come to the right place," reads this website which features pamphlets to help you get your kite off the ground, and keep it there!

Hot Air Balloons USA

http://www.hot-airballoons.com

If you aren't quite ready for the real thing, why not go for a cyber-ride instead! This site will answer your questions about ballooning and also provides a list of hot air balloon links.

How Hot Air Balloons Work

http://travel.howstuffworks.com/hot-air-balloon.htm

Just what is it that gets hot air balloons off the ground, keeps them in the air, but also allows them to come back down to earth once again? Find out just how hot air balloons work from this site.

Paper Airplanes by Jim Cornish

http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/paper.htm

Fifth grade teacher, Jim Cornish, provides a set of links having to do with the kind of flying machine that you can make on your own.

(The) Virtual Kite Zoo

http://www.kites.org/zoo/

Learn about single line kites, parafoil kites, dihedral kites and more! There is even a special section for teachers which makes a good argument for why kites should be a part of any classroom!

Airplanes

How Airplanes work

http://travel.howstuffworks.com/airplane.htm

"If you have ever wondered what allows a 747-- or any airplane for that matter-- to fly, then read on! In this edition of HowStuffWorks, [they] will walk through the theory of flight and talk about the different parts of a standard airplane, and then you can explore tons of links to learn even more!"

Principles of Flight

http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/princ1.htm

This offering from the Aeronautics Learning Laboratory for Science, Technology, and Research looks at various aspects of airplanes including the various parts of an airplane and their functions.