Trips

HMS Sultan

On 5th May a group of Year 8 students went to HMS Sultan for a guided tour of the base. While we were there we sat in a helicopter, explored the buzzing hub and looked round the competition hall.

While we were on our tour we found out how propellers work on helicopters and sat in the driver’s seat of a Gazelle and a Lynx. (Alistair Sertin said the best part of the trip for him was having the chance to sit in the helicopters.) We also went into a room in which an engine was kept that could be used on one of the naval ships. When this was switched on we had to wear ear protectors!

Other activities we enjoyed included: visiting ‘the slime station’. Here we created slime and found out all about polyforms, which are

interlocking particles that, when combined, form a rubber-like substance. We also had the chance to sit on a hovercraft and try out the controls. There was a program too that we used which was like a giant i-phone with a quiz on it (see photo below); some of the challenges were about engines and there was also a pipe challenge, which involved connecting pipes in the correct order in order for water to flow safely from one point to another—before the water got there!

This contained liquid nitrogen. You could create clouds within the container and also make a snow-like substance on the outside of it. There was a projector light fitted inside the container, w

hich illuminated the cloud formations so that you could see them clearly.

At the end of our time at the base we visited a range of stalls with small challenges to complete, free samples and advertising products. This was a day that we really enjoyed.

Stephanie Large (8D), Victoria Roe (8E) and Jill Stevens (8L)

On Wednesday 31^st March a group of fifteen Year 9 pupils, accompanied by Mrs Willis and Miss Bryant, visited Rutherford Appleton Labs for a trip organised by Future Engineers on the theme of ‘Engineering Applications in Space’. We were all up early to drive to the labs. Once we were there we were taken to the lecture hall and told what awaited us during the day.

Our group started with a tour of the labs. We then went on to programme robots, which was great fun; we learnt how pictures of space are taken, which was very interesting; and we also learnt about ground stations. After lunch, we went back to the lecture hall and were given a talk by a man from Virgin Galactic. He told us all about their plans and the preparations for space flights, which was fascinating. We also had a talk from the representative of a company which employs people in the space business. They talked to us about possible careers in the industry.

Mark Golledge – 10L

Intech Museum Trip

On Sunday 10^th October we went to the Intech museum visit. As part of space week there were many visitors, and the best part was meeting all the people who had things to do with space, we even met a person who starred in the Star wars Film. We watched a planetarium show, held a meteor and even went into space! There was a company who had a camera which sent one signal directly into space and one to a TV screen, you then had to work out which picture was the one sent into space. It was fun on Sunday and I am glad I went.

Sarah Morey 7S

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