Up, up and away

Jane Schmitko grew up when President John F. Kennedy said we would have a man on the moon by the end of the decade.
She remembers the Apollo astronauts.
That’s why the Trinity High School physics teacher jumped at the chance to apply for the Northrop Grumman Foundation Weightless Flights of Discovery.
“This is the closest I’m going to get to being in outer space,” she said.
Since 2006, Northrop Grumman has worked with Zero-G Corp. to give teachers the chance to experience weightless flights in a specially modified aircraft and to incorporate what they learn in the classroom. To date, nearly 1,000 teachers from the across the country have flown in the FAA-approved aircraft called the G-Force One, said Northrop Grumman spokesman Gustav Gulmert.
He said science, technology, engineering and math education is of particular interest to Northrop Grumman, which relies heavily on technical excellence to support its customers.
“Our intent is to inspire students to pursue technical careers by first inspiring their teachers,” he said. “We recognize the crucial role teachers play in energizing their students and making them aware of the opportunities awaiting them.”
Schmitko found out in July that she was one of the select few to participate in the 2009 flights. She attended an all-day workshop about one month before the flight where she was briefed on how the flights work and what to expect.
Find out more about her experience on the Observer-Reporter Web site.