We launched the National Flying Laboratory Centre (NFLC) fundraising campaign in April 2019, and we pushed ourselves to raise £3 million to purchase and modify a new Saab 340B to become the new flying classroom. Since then, our community of alumni and friends have shown us tremendous support and we are now close to achieving our goal. We are hugely grateful to everyone who has supported the campaign.
We were delighted recently to receive support for the campaign from the Rigby Foundation. The Rigby Foundation recently donated £50,000 to support our vision of enabling the flying classroom to be a powerful stool for STEM outreach as part of the ‘Global Connected Classroom’ – beaming data from the sensors on the flight surfaces, engines and fuel tanks to be fed live to the ground and, potentially, into classrooms within schools.
The flying classroom has recently returned from a trip to the seaside. The aircraft visited Blackpool for the first time, operating from Hangar 3 at Blackpool where it delivered vital training to students from Blackpool Airport.
This week we had Cranfield University's SAAB 340 and crew base their operations here at Hangar 3. Providing vital training to over 150 university students the operation has been such a success they will be returning. Watch this space.... #hangar3 #blackpoolairport pic.twitter.com/bTOfeRP4Vb
— Hangar 3 Blackpool (@hangar3BLK) April 22, 2022
A wonderful moment today welcoming the crew of the @CranfieldUni National Flying Laboratory Centre #SAAB340B home from its trip to the seaside. We’ve flown aerospace engineering students from Blackpool Airport with amazing support from @hangar3BLK #nflc #cranfield pic.twitter.com/QPhTAoMrJl
— Graham Braithwaite (@GRBraithwaite) April 21, 2022
We have also been working through the type rating of our team of pilots and the CAMO arrangements. Many of those in the industry will be very aware of the necessary stringency of the whole process.
We still have some work to do in order to modify the aircraft so we can provide STEM outreach opportunities to schools. We need your support to make changes to the aircraft to support full connectivity – ensuring data from the sensors mounted on the aircraft can be transmitted into the cabin and, via satellite communications links, down to the ground.
Want to know more?
If you’re curious and want to learn more about the NFLC campaign and the new flying classroom, then visit our website or download our campaign brochure. Everything you need to know about the NFLC campaign and our goal to create the next generation of aerospace and aviation leaders who can transform the future is there.
Finally, whether you make a gift or share our story we couldn’t do it without you, thank you!
