AVIATION

STEM-Based
 BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
MERIT BADGE SERIES

AVIATION

“Enhancing our youths’ competitive edge through merit badges”

 Requirements
1. Do the following:
a. Define “aircraft.” Describe some kinds and uses of air-
craft today. Explain the operation of piston, turboprop,
and jet engines.
b. Point out on a model airplane the forces that act on an
airplane in flight.
c. Explain how an airfoil generates lift, how the primary con-
trol surfaces (ailerons, elevators, and rudder) affect the
airplane’s attitude, and how a propeller produces thrust.
d. Demonstrate how the control surfaces of an airplane are
used for takeoff, straight climb, level turn, climbing turn,
descending turn, straight descent, and landing.
e. Explain the following: the sport pilot, the recreational
pilot, and the private pilot certificates; the
instrument rating.

2. Do TWO of the following:

a. Take a flight in an aircraft, with your parent’s permission.
Record the date, place, type of aircraft, and duration of
flight, and report on your impressions of the flight.
b. Under supervision, perform a preflight inspection of a
light airplane.
c. Obtain and learn how to read an aeronautical chart.
Measure a true course on the chart. Correct it for
magnetic variation, compass deviation, and wind drift
to determine a compass heading.

35862
ISBN 978-0-8395-3293-4
©2014 Boy Scouts of America
2016 Printing
 d. Using one of many flight simulator software packages
available for computers, “fly” the course and heading
you established in requirement 2c or another course
you have plotted.
e. Explain the purposes and functions of the various instru-
ments found in a typical single-engine aircraft: attitude
indicator, heading indicator, altimeter, airspeed indicator,
turn and bank indicator, vertical speed indicator, compass,
navigation (GPS and VOR) and communication radios,
tachometer, oil pressure gauge, and oil temperature gauge.
f. Create an original poster of an aircraft instrument panel.
Include and identify the instruments and radios discussed
in requirement 2e.

3. Do ONE of the following:

a. Build and fly a fuel-driven or battery-powered electric
model airplane. Describe safety rules for building and
flying model airplanes. Tell safety rules for use of glue,
paint, dope, plastics, fuel, and battery pack.

AVIATION    3
 b. Build a model FPG-9. Get others in your troop or patrol
to make their own model, then organize a competition to
test the precision of flight and landing of the models.

4. Do ONE of the following:

a. Visit an airport. After the visit, report on how the facili-
ties are used, how runways are numbered, and how
runways are determined to be “active.”
b. Visit a Federal Aviation Administration facility—a con-
trol tower, terminal radar control facility, air route traffic
control center, or Flight Standards District Office. (Phone
directory listings are under U.S. Government Offices,
Transportation Department, Federal Aviation
Administration. Call in advance.) Report on the operation
and your impressions of the facility.
c. Visit an aviation museum or attend an air show. Report
on your impressions of the museum or show.

5. Find out about three career opportunities in aviation. Pick

one and find out the education, training, and experience
required for this profession. Discuss this with your coun-
selor, and explain why this profession might interest you.

4    AVIATION
Aviation Resources.

Aviation Resources
Scouting Literature Whiteman, Phillip. Aircraft: The
Auto Mechanics, Electronics, Engineering, Definitive Visual History. DK
Model Design and Building, Orienteering, Adult, 2013.
and Space Exploration merit
badge pamphlets
Periodicals
Flying
For more information about Telephone: 407-628-4802
Scouting-related resources, visit Website: www.flyingmag.com
the BSA’s online retail catalog Model Airplane News
(with your parent’s permission) Air Age Media
at www.scoutstuff.org. Toll-free telephone: 800-827-0323
Website: www.modelairplanenews.com
Books Plane & Pilot
Bell, Dana. In the Cockpit: Inside 50 Werner Publishing Corp.
History-Making Aircraft. Harper Telephone: 310-820-1500
Design, 2007. Website: www.planeandpilotmag.com
———. Smithsonian Atlas of World
Aviation. Smithsonian, 2008. Organizations and Websites
Echaore-McDavid, Susan. Career Academy of Model Aeronautics
Opportunities in Aviation and the 5161 East Memorial Drive
Aerospace Industry: A Guide to Muncie, IN 47302
80 Careers in Aviation and the Toll-free telephone: 800-435-9262
Aerospace Industry. Checkmark Website: www.modelaircraft.org
Books, 2004.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots
Eichenberger, Jerry A. Your Pilot’s Association
License, 8th ed. McGraw Hill, 2011. 421 Aviation Way
Grant, R.G. Flight: The Complete Frederick, MD 21701
History. DK Publishing, 2007. Toll-free telephone: 800-872-2672
Website: www.aopa.org
Nahum, Andrew. Flight: DK Eyewitness
Book. DK Children, 2011.

94    AVIATION
 .Aviation Resources

ALLSTAR Network DVDs

Aeronautics Learning Laboratory for
Science, Technology, and Research Be a Sport Pilot: Learn to Fly a Fixed-
Website: www.allstar.fiu.edu Wing Light-Sport Aircraft. DVD,
75 min.
The Aviation History
Online Museum Sporty’s Learn to Fly Course. DVD,
Website: www.aviation-history.com 23 hours.

Chasing the Sun Sporty’s Introduction to Flying—A Non-

The History of Commercial Pilot’s Guide. DVD, 56 min.
Aviation Seen Through the Sporty’s So You Want to Fly Helicopters.
Eyes of Its Innovators DVD, 2 hrs.
Website: Start Flying! Understand What’s
www.pbs.org/kcet/chasingthesun Involved With Learning to Fly and
Federal Aviation Administration Earning a Pilot’s License. DVD,
800 Independence Ave. SW 34 min.
Washington, DC 20591
Toll-free telephone: 866-835-5322 Acknowledgments
Website: www.faa.gov
The Boy Scouts of America gives
National Aeronautics special thanks to Sporty’s Pilot Shop for
and Space Administration making this major revision of the
Suite 1M32 Aviation merit badge pamphlet possible.
Washington, DC 20546-0001 In particular, thanks to Mark
Telephone: 202-358-0001 Wiesenhahn for his assistance.
Website: www.nasa.gov Thanks to Robert Lamb Jr. and to
National Oceanic Ed Mitchell and his colleagues in
and Atmospheric Administration Phantom Works at Boeing Aircraft
1401 Constitution Ave., NW, Room 5128 Company for their assistance with
Washington, DC 20230 past updates to this pamphlet.
Telephone: 202-482-6090 The BSA is grateful to Rear Adm. J.
Website: www.noaa.gov Dan McCarthy, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S.
Sporty’s Pilot Shop Navy, for facilitating the use of U.S.
Website: www.sportys.com Navy photographs in the
Toll-free telephone: 800-776-7897 production of this book.
Thanks also to staff members
University Aviation Association at the Academy of Model Aeronautics
2415 Moore’s Mill Road, Suite 265-216 for their time and expertise in reviewing
Auburn, AL 36830 the text, and for providing some of the
Telephone: 334-528-0300 photos used in this pamphlet.
Website: www.imis100us1.com/uaa

AVIATION    95