Scattered around Runway Park are 17 educational kiosks, featuring informative displays about everything related to flight. Want to know the parts of an airplane or helicopter? Check the kiosks. Got questions about how weather affects flight or how airports and pilots use satellites for navigation, then you’ll find the answers here. You can even explore careers in aviation!
In order to locate this Geocache, you must solve the following puzzle:
A BC DE.FGH
I JKL MN.OPQ
Visit each of the 17 kiosks scattered around the park and discover the answers to the following questions.
1. Welcome to Runway Park at GMU
The perimeter taxiway around the park is _____ feet long.
North = 787, South = 878
A = _________
2. The Parts of an Airplane
"The left wing tip has a _____ light, the right wing tip has a green light." Count the number of letters in the answer.
B = _________
3. Primary Flight Instruments
Find the paragraph "Is the plane right side up or upside down?" The attitude indicator displays the aircraft's position in relation to the artificial horizon. "The instrument uses an internal spinning _______ which stays level with the horizon." Count the number of letters in the answer.
C = _________
4. Airplane Tires
Most aircraft tires are filled with nitrogen instead of air because it is non-combustible (will not burn).
True = 5, False = 4
D = _________
5. The Parts of a Helicopter
"The angle or _______ of the Rotor Blades (also known as Angle of Attack) can be changed to make the aircraft go faster (high pitch) or slower (low pitch). Since they are shaped like airplane wings, they are sometimes called Rotor Wings."
Count the number of letters in the answer, and subtract 5.
E = _________
6. Weather Affects Flying
"A wind blast from a thunderstorm less than _____ . _____ miles in diameter is a microburst." Add the two numbers together and subtract 1.
F = _________
7. Weather Instruments
"1 knot = ___ . ___ ___ ___ miles per hour." Fill in the missing numbers and add them up.
G = _________
8. The Parts of an Airport
Carefully count the number of airplanes on the Apron/Ramp + the Taxiway + The Runway = ___. Add 1.
H = _________
9. Airport Runways
Runway markings are white and assist pilots in aiming their approach to the runway. If True = West
Taxiway markings are purple so as not to be confused with the runways. If True = East
I = _________
10. Air Traffic Control
Air Traffic Control controllers at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) are responsible for aircraft from 2__ to 5__ miles from the airport and up to about 1__,000 feet. Fill in the same number for all blanks and that is the number for this clue!
J = _________
11. Satellite-based Navigation
“Satellites transmit data to the ground unit for _______ .” Count the number of letters in the answer.
K = _________
12. Aeronautical Charts
Look carefully on the right-hand lower side of the South Carolina aeronautical chart. Find the numbers in purple that look like a fraction. (Check between Five Forks and Woodruff.) 50 / 2 ____. (Note, this is a reference to actual geographical coordinates). Fill in the missing number.
L = _________
13. Aviation Changed the World.
Locate the Eastern Air transport brochure on the right-hand side of the display. Check the rates for a flight from New York to Atlanta. $57. ___ 1 Fill in the missing digit.
M = _________
14. Our Place in History
Michelin built the first paved runway in the world (Aulnat, France) in what year? _____. Subtract the year that Pacific Aero Products Company is incorporated by William E. Boeing. _____ (Read carefully!)
N = _________
15. Airports Support the Economy
"In South Carolina civil aviation contributed $ ___. ___ 07 billion dollars to the economy in 2012. In that same year almost 60,000 jobs in South Carolina or directly related to the civil aviation industry." Add the missing numbers together.
O = _________
16. Careers in Aviation
Did You Know? “…the aerospace industry’s ___ . 4% average annual growth rate in South Carolina…this might be a great career path for you!*” Fill in the missing number.
P = _________
17. What is the Civil Air Patrol?
“Students aged 1 ___ through ___ 0 years old can join CAP’s cadet program.” Fill in the same number for both blanks and that is the number for this clue!
Q = _________
Runway Park at GMU is located at 21 Airport Road Extension, Greenville, SC 29607.
Runway Park at GMU is free to use and open to the public. Runway Park is approximately 1.38 acres, has an educational amphitheater, exercise "Perimeter Taxiway" and walking "Runways", as well as aviation themed playground equipment, a swing set, airplane wings bench shade structure, a Bi-plane "Climber", a picnic hangar, benches, restrooms, water fountains and a Cessna 310 static display. A redecorated 15-foot cross section of a Boeing 737 fuselage and community supported park pavers have been installed along with a new gate and park sign to become part of the new main handicapped accessible park entrance.
The park project was conceived to fill a need since over 10,000 school children a year used to visit our area’s local commercial airport, GSP before 9/11. They can no longer do that due to security changes. GMU receives many inquiries from large groups that would like to come out to the airport for a tour, but we were not always able to accommodate many of them since our facility would not accommodate 80-100 children. This is the number that we are told that the school system needs to justify bus usage for a field trip.
Our region is attracting many aviation companies and they are having a hard time finding skilled workers. We believe that exposure to aviation may inspire some kids to enter engineering, air traffic control, aircraft maintenance, or to become a pilot or CNC Machinist. All of these are high paying jobs that are or will be needed to be filled locally.
Wolf Aviation Fund, The Daniel Mickel Foundation, Greenville Federal Credit Union, John I. Smith Charities, The Graham Foundation, The City of Greenville, Greenville County, Greenville Jet Center, Greenville Airport Commission, McKinney Dodge, Hollingsworth Funds, Region's Bank, Arizona's Children's Charities, Inc., H. M. Pearl Kyle Foundation and many other people and organizations have donated to the park project. We sincerely appreciate all the support we have received to get us this far.
Seventeen educational aviation signs have been installed! They cover items like: air traffic control, how aircraft achieve flight, parts of an aircraft, careers in the aviation industry, general aviation aircraft uses, gauges on aircraft instrument panels, how weather affects flight, etc... The South Carolina Aeronautics Commission, South Carolina Aviation Association, Michelin and Lockheed Martin gave generous donations to help us with this part of the park project!
No need to go near the real airport runways in order to find this geocache. Everything you need is on or near the playground.
Please respect the posted guidelines and do not enter the park after dark. Runway Park has a vigilant security patrol! It is possible to determine the coordinates for the final without entering the park, but please search in the daylight hours only.
Children and their families frequent Runway Park so please proceed with courtesy.
Watch for details of the upcoming Military History Center of the Carolinas (MHCC) Museum!
Many thanks to Lara Kaufmann and her team at GMU for consultation on placing this special Geocache.
