Blades of Oakey fly through the sky

You better keep your eyes on the sky because Blades of Oakey will be flying sky high at the UAV Challenge – Outback Rescue in Kingaroy on 23-25 September.

Three year twelve Oakey State High School aerospace students are entering the international aviation competition and they mean business, crowning themselves Blades of Oakey, in short BOO.

The Challenge features UAVs, pilotless aircraft either remote controlled or flown autonomously with a pre-programmed flight plan.

Students design and build their own UAVs, which then mount on an Outback rescue mission, delivering emergency supplies to someone lost in the bush. They compete for an ultimate prize of $10,000.

Tourism, Regional Development and Industry Minister Desley Boyle said the Challenge was an amazing opportunity for students to get involved in aviation.

“The Challenge will broaden the students’ horizons, providing them with industry contacts and potentially open doors to careers in aviation,” Ms Boyle said.

Oakey State High School Aerospace teacher Paul Williams said he was looking forward to the Challenge.

“Our involvement this year is a step forward,” Mr Williams said.

“Hopefully it will help raise the profile of the subject within the school and community, increasing student interest in the subject and enrolment.

“It’s a great opportunity for the three boys – Gordon Knight, Stuart Sharpe and especially Joshua Glanville.

“While Gordon and Stuart have provided valuable support with design input, research and experimentation, Joseph’s technical know-how is opening up all sorts of possibilities relating to the automation of our craft.

“He has already mapped out his further studies, wanting to study IT in Sydney and the Challenge will help him achieve this, give him experience and add to his credentials.

“He’s dead set on wanting to achieve the full automation of our craft, and I must admit the rest of team is swept up in the excitement of the possibilities he presents,” he said.

Joseph Glanville said high-tech communication between the team’s ground station and their aircraft made the automation of their craft a real possibility.

“With our entry we aim to achieve a craft that is not only a viable entry into the Challenge, but also a working model for application to other real world challenges outside the scope of this competition,” Joseph said.

“The system our team hopes to perfect will provide us with invaluable experience in the real world application of our studies to the aerospace industry.

“Throughout the Challenge we also look forward to making many contacts in this field of endeavour.

“We’re also lucky enough to receive some guidance, knowledge and pre-flight checks from Brad Hume at Boeing, as one of the company’s bases is located near the school, which has been a great help,” he said.

The UAV Challenge is a joint initiative between the Queensland Government, the Australian Research Centre for Aerospace Automation (ARCAA, a partnership between QUT and CSIRO) and Boeing Australia Limited.

For further information on the UAV Challenge – Outback Rescue visit www.uavoutbackchallenge.com.au

Ends
Media contact: 3224 2007 or 3225 1005

Oakey State High School Aerospace teacher, Paul Williams 07 4691 4171

27 August 2008