STEAM Rises
By Susan K. Parson, FAA Safety Briefing Editor
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” — William Butler Yeats
Most people are familiar with the fiery incarnation of the phoenix, a mythological bird that obtains new life by rising from the ashes of its predecessor. I’ve always loved the symbolism, so various versions of the fierce and fiery phoenix hang on my walls. But I also have a medallion of the water-and-fire phoenix, which is a combination of the more familiar fire creature and an alternate water version that cycles from ice to a pool of frozen water, then to liquid, and finally back to the solidity of ice.
If you’d care to follow me on this flight of fancy, perhaps we let this creature illustrate a whimsical riff on Yeats’ observation. Just as water and fire are both integral to this version of the phoenix, education involves both filling the pail and lighting the fire. I can’t resist observing that the “both/and” nature of the riff has linguistic support: “burn” can refer to both water — a stream — and fire.
“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” — Sydney J. Harris
When it comes to igniting the passion for aviation, whether as a subject, a hobby, a career, or all three, education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is clearly important. But as an enthusiastic liberal arts major and an avid all-over-the-map bibliophile, I want to conclude this issue of FAA Safety Briefing with a plug for how the arts can also be a portal to aviation. That was certainly true for me. Books, stories, artwork, and movies about airplanes and their crews ignited and fed my passion for aviation. The various forms of aviation art also encouraged me to take a greater interest in, and liking for, science and math classes. Since portals and windows work in both directions, I’d like to encourage those whose aviation interest is rooted in STEM to branch out into STEAM — let your interest in aviation spark curiosity about how both the beauty and the science of aviation can be expressed through the arts. If you need a place to start, I’ve included a few personal favorites below. I’d love to hear from you on worthy additions to the list. Enjoy!
The universe of aviation-themed books, films, podcasts, and other artistic expression is vast and constantly expanding. We offer here just a few selections we have enjoyed, in hopes that you will find them equally enchanting.
Aviation Books:
- A Gift of Wings (Richard Bach)
- Biplane (Richard Bach)
- Fate is the Hunter (Ernest K Gann)
- The Flight (Dan Hampton)
- Flight to Arras (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
- Fly Girls (Keith O’Brien)
- The High and the Mighty (Ernest K Gann)
- Jackie Cochran: An Autobiography (Jackie Cochran)
- Listen! The Wind (Anne Morrow Lindbergh)
- Night Flight (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
- North to the Orient (Anne Morrow Lindbergh)
- Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot (Mark Vanhoenacker)
- Stranger to the Ground (Richard Bach)
- Talkin’ about Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman” (Nikki Grimes, illustrated by E.B.Lewis)
- Travels with Puff (Richard Bach)
- Unlocking the Sky: Glenn Hammond Curtiss & the Race to Invent the Airplane (Seth Shulman)
- West with the Night (Beryl Markham)
- Wind, Sand, and Stars (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
- The Wright Brothers (David McCullough)
Podcasts:
- The Air Up There (faa.gov/podcasts)
- Airplane Geeks (airplanegeeks.com)
- Aviation Careers (aviationcareerspodcast.com)
- Ask the A&Ps and Never Again (aopa.org/podcasts)
- The Finer Points (thefinerpoints.com)
- The Green Dot (eaa.org)
- Opposing Bases Air Traffic Talk (opposingbases.com)
Films:
- Flight of the Phoenix
- Fly Away Home
- Flying the Feathered Edge: Bob Hoover Project
- The High and the Mighty
- Living in the Age of Airplanes
- Memphis Belle
- One Six Right
- Red Tails
- The Right Stuff
- Top Gun
Susan K. Parson (susan.parson@faa.gov) is editor of FAA Safety Briefing and a Special Assistant in the FAA’s Flight Standards Service. She is a general aviation pilot and flight instructor.
