When my STEM teacher announced that we could sign up for an international challenge, I knew I had to do it. There was to be a stem competition with several different challenges. One of the challenges in particular stuck out to me- Aerospace Glider. 

I have had experience with experimental rocketry and aerospace engineering, so naturally the Aerospace Glider challenge sounded interesting. It was affordable, and it didn’t sound hard. Teams of two or three students would construct a glider and a launcher, and use the launcher to shoot the glider towards a target. Two of my friends also showed interest in the aerospace glider. And so it started- my two friends and I would team up to make a glider. Several other teams from the seventh grade also decided to do the glider challenge, so we would have to work hard to beat them.

The first step was designing the glider and launcher. My friends and I worked together to make a good base design, holding several after school building sessions. Along with building and working on the glider, we had lots of fun just being together. 

The fist competition would be online; we would be competing against the teams from my school and other schools in my area. As the first competition grew near, me and my friends were pretty nervous. If we won, we would be going to Arizona to compete against schools from across the whole country! 

After school, on the day of the competition, the gym had already been set up. We would be flying our gliders at a target 8 yards away, to see who got the closest. The tensions were high as the STEM teacher gave a quick speech to the bystanders. One by one, the teams from my school launched their gliders, some doing well, some failing completely. 

When it was our turn, we excitedly pulled the glider back on the launcher. Then, my friend let the glider go. As if in slow motion the glider shot forward, and off the launcher! It caught the air and drifted towards the target! Everyone got quiet as the glider came to a stop. A perfect flight! After 3 flights in all, each one better than the last, the results were in. Our glider had the best accuracy, with one of our flights landing the glider less than 3 inches from the target!

All we could do was wait. Our teacher sent the results in, and it would be months before we got the final outcome. We couldn’t wait to know if anyone would be going to arizona!

Finally, after months of waiting, we got our results. Two of our teams would be traveling for the final glide-off! I couldn’t believe my ears- we would be going to Arizona! We rushed to put some final touches on our glider before the big event. 

Finally the day arrived. We took the long flight all the way from Oregon to Arizona, the glider and launcher in the plane’s checked packaging section deep inside the aircraft. We were happy to find both gliders in the launcher in good condition when we arrived. When we got to the competition, we found teams for all the challenges rushing around everywhere. It was pandemonium! After listening to some speakers talk about the challenges and where everyone was supposed to go, we rushed to the rooms where the competitions were being held. 

There were teams that looked like they knew what they were doing, like us, and others that seemed completely out of place. When the final flights began, everyone was silent. The teams one by one did their flights, as the onlookers applauded no matter the outcome of the flight. Some gliders performed amazingly, others fell to pieces midair. The other team from our school did well.

It was finally our turn. We readied the glider, attaching it to the launcher in the proper position. We drew the glider back, and let go. The glider caught air and shot toward the target, descending in a curving ark to a graceful stop near the target. We ran and did two more flights, both going well.

We ended up with 7th place out of 15. The other team from our school got 3rd place. Even though neither of us won first place, it was still amazing to be ranked 7th and 3rd in the nation. If there was any lesson I learned from the competition, it was that with others, especially friends, you can do amazing things! 

During the rest of our stay in Arizona, we had lots of fun. One of my friends on my team had a house in Arizona, so the next day we had a pool party there. On the last day of our trip, me, my friends, my friends on the other team, the parents, and our STEM teacher hiked up a small mountain in Arizona. 

The wind blew lightly as we stood at the peak of the mountain, looking over at the city and desert. Even though we didn’t win the competition, It was still completely worth it. It’s always worth it if you do it with friends!