INFORM students that they will be assigned to one of three groups and participate in an activity to help find their answers. Together, their answers should help the class select the best aircraft and prepare to develop a flight plan for the mission.

Break students into small groups and assign each group to the title of one of the following activities to select the optimal aircraft for their group's mission.

• Group 1: Selecting aircraft
  based on remote sensing
  instrument parameters (To develop an understanding of AVIRIS and prompt students to think about the relationship between aircraft and remote sensing instrument.)
  See Activity sheet: Selecting
  aircraft based on remote
  sensing instrument parameters
  (DMFP-2) and accompanying table (DMFP-2A)
  
• Group 2: Selecting aircraft based
  on mission planning factors (To develop an understanding of factors, such as weather, that affect mission planning and prompt students to think about why identifying such factors is critical to the aeronautics.)
  See Activity sheet: Selecting aircraft based
  on mission planning factors (DMFP-3) and
  accompanying table (DMFP-3A)
  
• Group 3: Selecting aircraft based
  on flight planning parameters (To develop an understanding of factors that affect fight planning and prompt students to think about their flight plan.) 
  See Activity sheet: Selecting aircraft
  based on flight planning
  parameters and accompanying table (DMFP-4A)

Circulate around to the groups and ask the following questions:

• Which aircraft are appropriate for your mission?
• Why do you think that your chosen aircraft are appropriate for your group's mission?
• Why do you think that other aircraft are not appropriate for your group's mission?

Optional activities: Include an in-depth series of activities and explorations on  meteorology and weather related to flight. Some engaging activities include:

• Weather experiments:
  • Experiment 9 (Temperature) 
  • Experiment 10 (Wind speed) 
  • Experiment 13 (Wind direction)
  • Experiment 15 (Moisture in the air)
  • Experiment 16 (Dew and frost)
    

   

• Weather exploration websites:

  o        Weather map1  http://www.weather.com/maps/
  maptype/currentweatherusnational/
  index_large.html

  o        Weather map 2 (specific) ( http://www.weather.com/
  weather/local/USHI0032 )

  o        Interactive Weather Information http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/hi/hi.html

  o         Interactive Weather Information (http://lumahai.soest.hawaii.edu/cgi-bin/satview.cgi?sat=g10&satregion=
  oah&channel=ni4&anim=no&size=stand)  (Teacher Note: only be concerned about areas which have a green, yellow, or red color: these colors are a good indication of rain)

Student activity:

• Group 1: Complete Activity sheet:
  Selecting aircraft based
  on remote sensing instrument
  parameters (DMFP-2) and
  accompanying table (DMFP-2A) while exploring the characteristics of the AVIRIS and select the optimal aircraft based on information provided.
  
  

• Group 2: Complete Activity sheet: Selecting
  aircraft based on mission
  planning factors (DMFP-3) and
  accompanying table (DMFP-3A) while exploring factors that affect mission planning such as preparation and weather and select the optimal aircraft based on the information provided.
  
  
• Group 3:  Complete Activity sheet: Selecting
  aircraft based on flight planning
  parameters and accompanying table (DMFP-4A) while exploring the following websites: Map of NASA Dryden, Hawaii airports, Airport information, and Airport data (runaway, map, and etc.), and select the optimal aircraft based on the information provided.