Boy Scout Merit Badge...

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flygirl34q

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It's quite the weekend at my home 'drome... a large number of Boy Scouts have taken over and are camping on the field doing Boy Scout type things including earning merit badges. Tomorrow, my EAA Chapter is helping out with plane rides for the kids... maybe it's a part of an aviation merit badge. Anyway... I thought this sign was funny. I'd be curious to know what the requirements would be to earn this one?? :goofy:

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flygirl34q said:
It's quite the weekend at my home 'drome... a large number of Boy Scouts have taken over and are camping on the field doing Boy Scout type things including earning merit badges. Tomorrow, my EAA Chapter is helping out with plane rides for the kids... maybe it's a part of an aviation merit badge. Anyway... I thought this sign was funny. I'd be curious to know what the requirements would be to earn this one??
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They are going to duplicate the Mythbusters attempt to make a small ultralight with duck tape. They pass if it flies.

:)
 
Thanks, Sara... I'm thinking the duct tape wallet wouldn't have the same appeal as a Dooney or a Coach one, but it would no doubt be pretty tough. The purple lengths I have on my hangar floor to guide my plane through the door have held up very well! And everyone has seen that crazy video from Alaska where the bear has torn apart the fabric covered airplane to get to the food inside and the pilot just replaced the fabric with duct tape and flew it out of there. So you know right there that it's good stuff and worthy of a merit badge all it's own. :rolleyes:
 
flygirl34q said:
It's quite the weekend at my home 'drome... a large number of Boy Scouts have taken over and are camping on the field doing Boy Scout type things including earning merit badges. Tomorrow, my EAA Chapter is helping out with plane rides for the kids... maybe it's a part of an aviation merit badge. Anyway... I thought this sign was funny. I'd be curious to know what the requirements would be to earn this one?? :goofy:

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Been a lot of years since I was a Scout, but it looks like someone has a sense of humor!

My memory is faulty but back in my day I think you had to be in Explorers (what you were supposed to move into when you turned 15 and were bored tying knots and practicing first aid) before you could have any first hand aviation experiences. Anyway, if you have a chance to give rides, I'm sure the young ones would appreciate it.

The BSA is not exactly what you'd call a progressive organization, so you could definitely make a good impression.
 
I don't recall all of the requirements, but I remember that first hand experience with an airplane is one of the paths. There are a number of options and the scout chooses only a few.

As I recall, they have to learn how to do a pre-flight, then execute a preflight walk around under supervision. They have an option to make a flight plan, including accounting for winds aloft, then have a pilot fly that plan for them. They can take a ride in a small airplane.

All in all, a scout who accomplishes the merit badge should be about half way through private ground school.
 
I use to allow the boy scouts to camp on my land. The only requirement was no trash was to be left behind. After they left I went to the area and found beer cans left from the scout leaders. :mad:

I would have liked to duct tape the beer cans to the foreheads of the scout leaders. ;)
 
I taught the aviation merit badge to 9 scouts last week. They seemed to enjoy it as I overheard a couple afterwards saying it was the best merit badge EVER! :). It took us 3 hours to complete.
 
Swampfox201 said:
I taught the aviation merit badge to 9 scouts last week. They seemed to enjoy it as I overheard a couple afterwards saying it was the best merit badge EVER! :). It took us 3 hours to complete.
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After reading all the requirements linked above, it's hard to imagine doing all that in three hours. Perhaps you helped do just one of those many steps?
 
Geico266 said:
I use to allow the boy scouts to camp on my land. The only requirement was no trash was to be left behind. After they left I went to the area and found beer cans left from the scout leaders. :mad:

I would have liked to duct tape the beer cans to the foreheads of the scout leaders. ;)
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Sure those were from the leaders? :lol:
 
I've done the aviation merit badge things with some scouts. They have to do a preflight and essentially a YE-style flight experience among other things.
 
Geico266 said:
I use to allow the boy scouts to camp on my land. The only requirement was no trash was to be left behind. After they left I went to the area and found beer cans left from the scout leaders. :mad:

I would have liked to duct tape the beer cans to the foreheads of the scout leaders. ;)
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Better to have called the district office. It's in the phone book. Letting a few of the parents know wouldn't have hurt, either. The kids will know who it was.
 
Both my boys got the badge; they attended a scout seminar at HAO several years back, and of course their dad helped a bit. :)

The only bad part was an appearance by an ASI. I didn't hear the lecture, but the boys though he was an officious jerk.
 
Best Description of Duct Tape --- "The Force"

Because it has a light side, and a dark side. And it holds the universe together.
 
Flygirl, all I can say is leave your airplane in a locked hangar if there is either a duct tape merit badge or an Eastern terrorism merit badge session going on.
 
I got my first airplane ride as a result of completing an aviation merit badge. I've taught a number of classes for them since that time, always with the offer of an airplane flight as a reward for each scout who completes the merit badge.

I generally spend two or three weeks completing the merit badge; that's meeting once each week for two or three hours. It usually proves popular with both the scouts and the leaders.
 
BSA days were some of my happiest involvements back in the 1950s. I don't remember if there was an Aviation merit badge back then. At that stage of my life I didn't have an aviation interest, but because of childhood injuries which kept me from contact sports I indulged in a lot of other activities. Eagle Scout? Couldn't accomplish because I couldn't swim underwater, and no waiver could be granted.

HR
 

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Ron Levy said:
IIRC, Scout leaders are prohibited from alcohol consumption on Scout activities.
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rotorhead1026 said:
Better to have called the district office. It's in the phone book. Letting a few of the parents know wouldn't have hurt, either. The kids will know who it was.
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As I recall from my days as an adult Scout leader years ago that prohibition exists. And, knowing BSA, I doubt it has gone away. Call the district office. They will want to know.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Flygirl, all I can say is leave your airplane in a locked hangar if there is either a duct tape merit badge or an Eastern terrorism merit badge session going on.
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Sac... it was a fun time today! We had a total of 5 planes flying, but we were only a small part of the total show. Apparently, Space Jam is a big deal in the Scouting world in Central IL. No Terrorism badge... but the Duct Tape badge was a go and lots of other ones I saw in progress too. They had archery targets set up, what looked like some kind of climbing wall on the grassy areas, and a sea of tents where the scouts were living outside. (I think it's called camping.) I'm not a morning person and I was about 5 minutes late to the pilot's safety briefing at 6:45... but the Boy Scouts are certainly morning people, because this was the scene that greeted me as I drove up to the FBO from the T-hangars:

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Ugh... I hate keeping people waiting. :rolleyes2: But, we got rolling quickly after that and had a lot of fun flying... no pukeage in my airplane or anyone else's... I even got this patch as a thank-you for having fun flying. I have it up on my airplane's visor with my OSH and Sun 'n Fun pins... it was the perfect way for me to help out a few Scouts accomplish part of their Aviation merit badge.

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You know, it's always amazing to me that all the parents' cameras come out for events like these... and they want ME in the photo! (I kinda felt like a rock star, doing that and signing flight certificates.) Guess flying and airplanes are something of a big deal when you don't see it that often. How truly very lucky we all are. :D


http://www.spacejamboree.com/
 
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Ron Levy said:
IIRC, Scout leaders are prohibited from alcohol consumption on Scout activities.
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They were certainly prohibited from leaving beer cans my property. Really sad the adults screwed it up for the kids. It was a perfect place. 5 acre stocked bass pond, trees, on a secluded 200 acre site, with a huge barn to store their stuff for free. They admitted they were their beer cans, as the "leaders" got to relax at the end of the day with a beer. I admitted to making a mistake by getting involved with them. What does it take to have everyone police the area they camped in? :mad:
 
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Lawreston said:
BSA days were some of my happiest involvements back in the 1950s. I don't remember if there was an Aviation merit badge back then. At that stage of my life I didn't have an aviation interest, but because of childhood injuries which kept me from contact sports I indulged in a lot of other activities. Eagle Scout? Couldn't accomplish because I couldn't swim underwater, and no waiver could be granted.

HR
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Probably the Aviation merit badge was available. Possibly not available where you were. It was available in Tucson in mid-50s -- for Boy Scouts, not for Girl Scouts.

Well, possibly not a badge. But there was an Explorer troop that was aviation-centered.
 
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Geico266 said:
They were certainly prohibited from leaving beer cans my property. Really sad the adults screwed it up for the kids. It was a perfect place. 5 acre stocked bass pond, trees, on a secluded 200 acre site, with a huge barn to store their stuff for free. They admitted they were their beer cans, as the "leaders" got to relax at the end of the day with a beer. I admitted to making a mistake by getting involved with them. What does it take to have everyone police the area they camped in? :mad:
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A real shame that would peeve me off too Larry. I am a Bronze Palm Eagle Scout and recall that when EVER we left a campsite we would have to check for and clean up litter. We would stretch out in a line across the site and go step by step so we didn't miss anything. Much like you would see the military walk down a runway looking for FOD. Real shame they took advantage of your hospitality that way.
 
Ron Levy said:
After reading all the requirements linked above, it's hard to imagine doing all that in three hours. Perhaps you helped do just one of those many steps?
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You are correct. The requirements say: do one of the following, or do two of the following. You don't have to do them all. Also the time it takes to complete the badge depends on how in depth you want to go into each subject. My view is I'm not getting them ready for a checkride I'm giving them an overview on what aviation is about and how special it is to fly.
 
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Swampfox201 said:
You are correct. The requirements say: do one of the following, or do two of the following. You don't have to do them all. Also the time it takes to complete the badge depends on how in depth you want to go into each subject. My view is I'm not getting them ready for a checkride I'm giving them an overview on what aviation is about and how special it is to fly.
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I still don't think you could do all the required tasks in three hours. It's a formidable list, and I don't see anyone completing all of it in a single day, no less three hours. I think do it would take a week or two to do it all.

  1. Do the following:
    1. Define "aircraft." Describe some kinds and uses of aircraft today. Explain the operation of piston, turboprop, and jet engines.
    2. Point out on a model airplane the forces that act on an airplane in flight.
    3. Explain how an airfoil generates lift, how the primary control surfaces (ailerons, elevators, and rudder) affect the airplane's attitude, and how a propeller produces thrust.
    4. Demonstrate how the control surfaces of an airplane are used for takeoff, straight climb, level turn, climbing turn, descending turn, straight descent, and landing.
    5. Explain the following: the recreational pilot and the private pilot certificates; the instrument rating.
  2. Do TWO of the following:
    1. 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.
    2. Under supervision, perform a preflight inspection of a light airplane.
    3. 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. Arrive at a compass heading.
    4. 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.
    5. On a map, mark a route for an imaginary airline trip to at least three different locations. Start from the commercial airport nearest your home. From timetables (obtained from agents or online from a computer, with your parent's permission), decide when you will get to and leave from all connecting points. Create an aviation flight plan and itinerary for each destination.
    6. Explain the purposes and functions of the various instruments 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.
    7. Create an original poster of an aircraft instrument panel. Include and identify the instruments and radios discussed in requirement 2f.
  3. Do ONE of the following:
    1. 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.
    2. 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:
    1. Visit an airport. After the visit, report on how the facilities are used, how runways are numbered, and how runways are determined to be "active."
    2. Visit a Federal Aviation Administration facility—a control tower, terminal radar control facility, air route traffic control center, flight service station, 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.
    3. 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 counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you.
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I'm thinking the last item alone would take several hours.
 
We have completed the Golf Badge requirements, other than the interview and essay. Justin Leonard has graciously agreed to assist with this element.
 
Ron Levy said:
I still don't think you could do all the required tasks in three hours. It's a formidable list, and I don't see anyone completing all of it in a single day, no less three hours. I think do it would take a week or two to do it all.

I'm thinking the last item alone would take several hours.
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It does. The last item and building the FPG-9 model were prerequisites to be done before class.
 
wabower said:
We have completed the Golf Badge requirements, other than the interview and essay. Justin Leonard has graciously agreed to assist with this element.
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Golf? There is a Golf merit badge? seriously?
 
Bob Noel said:
Golf? There is a Golf merit badge? seriously?
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Why not?? There is apparently a duct tape one! :goofy: The badge is an embroidered patch with a roll of duct tape on it. Both of my two nephews are Eagle Scouts... I should ask them what the most "off-the-wall" merit badge is they can recall. It should be interesting... they've been Boy Scouts since they were in kindergarten.
 
Yep. See BSA website for entire list. Lots of new stuff since we learned to tie a knot and use a compass.

Bob Noel said:
Golf? There is a Golf merit badge? seriously?
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Ron Levy said:
I'm thinking the last item alone would take several hours.
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The last one may be easiest of all: "Post new thread on Pilots of America asking about career options, pay, and required education" :rofl:
 
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