Winners announced
School children from across Northern Ireland reached for the sky at the final of Bombardier’s annual Flight Experience Challenge, held at the W5 Science and Discovery Centre in Odyssey, Belfast on 28 April 2010.
Linked to Bombardier’s extensive educational outreach, which supports the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programme in Northern Ireland’s schools, the competition provides a practical learning experience for young people.
Pupils were challenged to design, build and fly a self-propelled model aircraft using recyclable, everyday objects. Aeroplanes manufactured from a wide range of materials, including balsa wood, paper clips, lollipop sticks and elastic bands, were judged on
design, construction, flight and livery.
The standard of entries in each category was high, and the judging panel, comprising Bombardier manufacturing and materials engineers, selected the following winners:
Key Stage 2 St.Bride’s Primary School, Belfast
Pictured receiving their winning certificates from Rory Galway, Manager, Equal Opportunities and Technical Training, Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast, are St.Bride’s Primary School pupils, Niall McAllister and Ruairi Moyna
Key Stage 3 Bangor Grammar School
Pictured receiving their winning certificates from Rory Galway, Manager, Equal Opportunities and Technical Training, Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast, are Bangor Grammar School pupils, Josh Geary and Craig McGimpsey.
Key Stage 4/5 Glengormley High School
Pictured receiving their winning certificates from Rory Galway, Manager, Equal Opportunities and Technical Training, Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast, are Glengormley High School pupils, Andrew Snoddy and Philip Smyth.
Special
School
Fleming
Fulton
School, Belfast
Pictured receiving their winning certificates from Rory Galway, Manager, Equal Opportunities and Technical Training, Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast, are Fleming Fulton School pupils, Jason Browning and Lindsay Cunningham.
Winning teams will visit the Farnborough International Airshow on Friday, July 23, 2010, a day dedicated to International Futures for Youth. The programme of activities, aimed at inspiring
young minds to choose careers in aerospace, will include interactive demonstrations and flight simulations. There will also be opportunities to meet industry leaders, as well as graduates who have recently joined the sector.
In addition, each winning team will receive £1,000 for their school.
“Today was an excellent illustration of industry and education working in partnership. These young people’s creative abilities clearly demonstrate their potential to become tomorrow’s innovators. We hope that Bombardier has shown them what aerospace has to offer in an interesting and stimulating way,” said Rory Galway, Manager, Equal Opportunities and Technical Training, Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast.