TROPHY: From Roaring Engines to Electric Skies
When you use a flight simulator, you are the pilot! You control the airplane, deciding when to turn, climb, and land. You can adjust the throttle( engine power) or the ailerons( roll) and see how it affects the way your plane moves through the air. Suddenly, concepts like aerodynamics( how air flows around the plane), lift, thrust, and drag— aren’ t just words. They’ re forces you can see and experience in real time.
You might try a mission where you take off from a busy runway, land safely during a storm, or navigate a race course. Each mission is like leveling up in a video game: complete one, and you’ ll feel ready for the next challenge.
Flight simulators turn science and math into hands-on experiences. You can test what happens when you change the weather, your speed, or your altitude. This instant feedback makes it easier to understand and remember the concepts you’ re learning.
But it’ s not just about schoolwork. Flight sims also give you a peek into real-world careers … like being a pilot, aerospace engineer, or air traffic controller. You’ ll also practice teamwork and problem-solving when you plan flights with friends, classmates, or even students from other schools.
You’ ll learn best by seeing, hearing and doing. Flight simulators make that happen as they make STEM learning exciting, real, and fun!
THE PULITZER
In 1920, airplane racing was brandnew and thrilling. The Pulitzer Trophy Air Race challenged pilots to fly the fastest around a short looped course. The first winner, Lt. Corliss Moseley, flew 157 mph in a special racing plane. Over the next few years, speeds soared and by 1925, pilots reached nearly 249 mph. These races weren’ t just for fun; they inspired new airplane designs and showed the world how quickly aviation could improve. But by the end of 1925, costs rose and crowds shrank, so the races stopped.
Now, 100 years later, the Pulitzer Trophy is coming back, but with a new twist. This month, the Springfield-Beckley Airport in Ohio, will host an all-electric Pulitzer Trophy aircraft race. Pilots will compete in electric planes that are quiet, clean, and futuristic. The winner will be awarded at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D. C.
If you’ re interested in tracking the race participants in real-time or you want to learn more about the Pulitzer Trophy event, visit www. pulitzertrophy. com
SO … ARE YOU READY TO FLY?
If you’ d like to try out the X-Plane flight sim, visit www. x-plane. com / desktop / try-it
FALL 2025— ISSUE NO. 12 33