Jointly organized by the Kaohsiung City Government, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST), and the Air Force Institute of Technology, the “Little Aerospace Engineer Camp” was held from January 23 to 25 (2024). The camp, which was held at Zhaoxiang Elementary School in Gangshan, Kaohsiung, also brought together resources from the National Science Council and the Ministry of Education’s USR program.
During the camp, a number of instructors from the Air Force Aviation Academy, including Chia-Wei Hsu, Chih-Yuan Weng, Bo-wen Lin, He-Ching Lin and Li-kai Liu, shared on such topics as the history of the Air Force, flight principles, hand-thrown aircraft, and parachute water rockets. Three professors from NPUST, including Hudson Hsu, Chun-Fa Cheng, and Chih-hsien Kung, also provided instruction on quadcopters, and GPS and GIS satellite technology applications. Adding some more variety, Professors Ying-Chun Wang and Ching-Min Lee from National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism talked about UFOs and aliens, high-speed rail driving simulations, and cockpit internship experiences of passenger aircraft flight attendants. A total of 10 professors took part in the teaching, aiming to inspire local students and satisfy their curiosity while also promoting national defense aviation and helping to popularize local culture and history.
NPUST’s Professor Hudson Hsu, who is was chief host of the program, said that the Little Aerospace Engineers activity was designed to expand services to the community and the functionality of colleges and universities. “We hope to increase awareness and improve understanding of the Air Force in the local community, and gradually build an aviation science education park in Kaohsiung”. Using Local resources, they are encouraging colleges and universities to work together with primary and secondary schools to promote science education, help students and teachers understand aerospace technology, and develop the local features of the area. The activity of Little Aerospace Engineers has been going on for 13 years now. It is mainly based in Gangshan area of Kaohsiung, which is a training hub for the Air Force. It combines the humanities, history, and the features of local industries to create educational science activities for participants to enjoy. From scientific student research and teacher training to science exhibitions and hand-held machine competitions, the courses cover a wide range of theoretic and practical exercises that are designed to popularize science education while also helping achieve the tacit function of national defense for the people.
