Airborne Delivery Wing (ADW) have taken their range of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) activities to the Cheltenham Science Festival this week. Bringing the science behind freefall parachuting to life on their stand through learning materials and physical demonstrations of equipment used by military parachutists. The stand will be manned by over 20 Junior Ranks from across the Wing during the week ensuring that we have a wide range of experience and knowledge, whilst also giving the Junior Ranks a great opportunity to contribute to RAF Brize Norton’s efforts in support of STEM. Airborne Delivery Wing’s participation in the Cheltenham Science Festival was funded by RAF100.
Visitors to the festival were able to see parachuting in real life with an amazing display from the RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team. The Falcons were then on hand to talk to the pupils about the basics of parachuting.
“This is my first season on the RAF Falcons team and events like this are very rewarding. I really enjoyed jumping into Cheltenham College Prep School, and meeting visitors to the Science Festival”
Corporal Chris West
RAF Falcon
A parachute was available at the stand for people to try on and feel the weight of a parachute.
“I tried on a heavy parachute and now I’m ready to jump out of a plane. It was cool”
Freddie
The King’s School Gloucester
“Being able to bring the science behind freefall parachuting to such a prestigious event as the Cheltenham Science Festival is a real privilege. The children have reacted positively to the parachutes and have been extremely enthusiastic to learn more. Our stand offers something for all ages from the build-your-own-parachute up to the bespoke Falcons freefall video which we use to explain the forces acting on a parachutists and terminal velocity”
Squadron Leader Tony Dimeck
Senior Engineering Officer, Parachute Engineering Squadron
“The RAF Falcons display into the grounds of Cheltenham College in support to the highly esteemed Cheltenham Science Festival provided a fantastic opportunity to showcase the STEM engagement activities that Airborne Delivery Wing are displaying in the Discovery Zone of the Festival. Under the RAF 100 Inspire theme we are bringing to life GCSE Science content surrounding gravity and terminal velocity for over 6000 visiting school children. The RAF Falcons display allowed the audience to see this live and in doing so showed the exceptional professionalism, precision and expertise that the RAF Falcons are known for and to help inspire the next generation.”
Wing Commander Jamie Simmonds
Officer Commanding ADW
