Aviation is the science and adventure of flight. This badge explains how airplanes stay in the air, lets you build and fly a model, and takes you behind the scenes at an airport or museum. It might be the first step toward a pilot's seat.
Why it's worth it
A jet weighing as much as a hundred cars lifts off because of four forces you can learn to explain with your own hand out a car window. Aviation teaches how planes fly, lets you build and trim a model until it glides straight, and takes you behind the fence at an airport or museum. It's the first step toward a pilot's seat, a control tower, a hangar full of engines, or an engineering lab designing the next aircraft.
Start this week
- Fold three different paper airplane designs, fly each five times, and write down which went farthest and why you think so.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of an Aviation counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
- With a parent, look up the nearest small airport, aviation museum, or flying club and check whether they host open houses or youth programs.
- Download or print a sectional chart for your area from the FAA's free charts and find your town and the closest airport on it.
Stay safe
- Around real aircraft, stay with your escort, never walk near a propeller even when it's stopped, and stay off the ramp unless invited.
- Fly models in open areas away from people, roads, and power lines, and follow FAA rules and an adult's lead if you fly anything with a motor or a drone.
Requirements · 5
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).
- Requirement 1
Aviation basics and how flight works
Tips for this section: Hold your hand out a car window, with a parent's okay, and tilt it to feel lift and drag. Then sketch the four forces on a plane.
Example for this section: Explain the four forces with a story: on takeoff, thrust from the engine pulls the plane forward, the wings create lift once there's enough airflow, and lift beats weight while thrust beats drag. Add a sketch, and one moment in flight history like the Wright brothers' 1903 flight.
- Requirement 1a
Define what an aircraft is, and describe 3 kinds of aircraft used today and what each is usually used for
- Requirement 1b
Give a short overview of how flight has developed and discuss 3 important moments in aviation history
- Requirement 1c
Explain how fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft differ and the advantages of each
- Requirement 1d
Explain how piston, turbine, and jet engines work
- Requirement 1e
Use a model aircraft to describe the 4 forces acting on an aircraft in flight
- Requirement 1f
Explain how an airfoil creates lift, including Bernoulli's principle
- Requirement 1g
Name and describe the control surfaces on an aircraft you choose, and explain how they control its attitude and direction
- Requirement 1h
Explain what each instrument in a typical single-engine plane does: attitude, heading, altimeter, airspeed, turn and bank, vertical speed, compass, navigation, communication, and engine indicators
- Requirement 2
Principles of flight. Choose 1 of 3
Tips for this section: Start with a simple glider or rubber-band model. Adjust the wings and tail and test how it changes the flight.
Example for this section: Build a rubber-band-powered balsa airplane and test it in a gym or open field, aiming for a straight 25-foot flight and a smooth landing. If it noses up and stalls, add a little weight to the nose; if it dives, bend the back edge of the tail up slightly. Keep notes on each adjustment and how it flew.
- Requirement 2a
Build an FPG-9 model, have other Scouts in your troop or patrol build one too, and hold a contest judging how accurately each flies and lands
- Requirement 2b
Build a balsa wood airplane powered by a rubber band and fly it straight for 25 feet, landing smoothly
- Requirement 2c
Build or get a fuel or battery-powered model aircraft or drone, earn The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) certificate, and fly it with a good takeoff and landing
- Requirement 3
Flight operations. Choose 2 of 5
Tips for this section: Try a flight simulator, or ask a pilot to show you an aviation chart and explain what the symbols mean.
Example for this section: On a sectional chart, plan a short imaginary flight between two nearby airports: draw the line, measure the true course with a plotter, then correct for wind drift, magnetic variation, and compass deviation to get your heading. Note any controlled airspace or tall towers along the route.
- Requirement 3a
On flight simulator software, set a course and fly your planned headings, including a successful takeoff and landing
- Requirement 3b
With supervision, do a preflight inspection of an aircraft
For example: With a pilot or mechanic supervising, follow a preflight walk-around at a general aviation airport, checking fuel, oil, control surfaces, and tires. Ask what they're looking for at each stop.
- Requirement 3c
Watch or help with aircraft maintenance, and describe what maintenance an aircraft of your choice needs and how often
- Requirement 3d
Get an aeronautical chart and learn to read it; measure a true course, then correct for wind drift, magnetic variation, and compass deviation to find a heading
- Requirement 3e
With permission from a parent or guardian, go on a discovery flight; log the date, place, aircraft type, and flight time, and report your impressions
- Requirement 4
Airport operations. Choose 1 of 4
Tips for this section: Many airports and aviation museums offer tours. Call ahead with a parent and bring questions.
Example for this section: At the airport, find out how runways get their numbers (one pointing about 270° magnetic is Runway 27), why pilots take off and land into the wind, and how that decides the active runway. Ask what the hangars, fuel trucks, and terminal are used for.
- Requirement 4a
Visit an airport, then report on how its facilities are used, how runways get their numbers, and how the active runway is chosen
- Requirement 4b
Visit an FAA facility (ATCT, TRACON, ARTCC, or FSDO) and report on how it operates and your impressions
- Requirement 4c
Visit a military aviation facility, learn how it supports defense or civilian activities, and report on how it operates and your impressions
- Requirement 4d
Visit an aviation museum or go to an air show, and report your impressions and what you learned
- Requirement 5
Personal and professional aviation opportunities
Tips for this section: Ask a pilot what training they needed and what other jobs exist, like air traffic controller, mechanic, or engineer.
Example for this section: Explain a pilot pathway: student pilot certificate, then private pilot, then instrument rating and commercial certificate for paid flying. Then name three non-pilot jobs, like air traffic controller, aircraft mechanic, and airport manager.
- Requirement 5a
Explain the student pilot, recreational pilot, remote pilot, and private pilot certificates
- Requirement 5b
Describe what an instrument rating lets a pilot do and why it's useful
- Requirement 5c
Explain the commercial pilot and airline transport pilot certificates and what a certified flight instructor (CFI) is
- Requirement 5d
Find an Aviation Exploring post or Civil Air Patrol unit near you and learn what they do and how to join
- Requirement 5e
Name 3 aviation careers; research one's training, education, certification, experience, costs, job outlook, starting pay, and advancement, and discuss with your counselor whether it interests you
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A general aviation airport or flying club
Pilots and mechanics there can show you small planes up close, walk through a preflight check, and explain the instruments.
How: Have an adult call the airport office or a flying club and ask about Scout visits or youth days. Stay with your guide and off the ramp unless escorted.
An aviation or air and space museum
You can see real aircraft from different eras, cockpits, and engines cut open to show how they work.
How: Check the museum's website for Scout programs or flight simulators, and go with your family or troop.
An FAA facility or military base open house
Control towers and base open houses show how air traffic is managed and how military aircraft are maintained.
How: Your counselor or a parent checks for public open house dates or contacts the facility's public affairs office. Visits often need advance registration.
Where it can lead
- Airline or charter pilotFlies passengers or cargo; requires flight training and FAA certificates.
- Aviation maintenance technicianInspects and repairs aircraft; trained at an FAA-approved school, often about two years.
- Air traffic controllerGuides planes safely through the sky and on the ground from towers and radar centers.
- Aerospace engineerDesigns aircraft, engines, and drones; requires an engineering degree.
- Military aviator or aircrewFlies or supports aircraft in the Air Force, Navy, Marines, Army, or Coast Guard.
- Airport operations specialistKeeps runways, lighting, and ground traffic safe and running on time.
Ask yourself
- What about flight do you find most amazing or mysterious?
- When your model didn't fly the way you wanted, how did you figure out what to change?
- What did you see at the airport or museum that you didn't expect?
- Which aviation job could you picture yourself doing, and what would it take to get there?
- How has learning about the four forces changed the way you feel on a real airplane?
Good questions to ask a pilot, mechanic, or air traffic controller
- What made you want to work in aviation, and how did you get started?
- What's a normal day like in your job, and what's an unusual one like?
- How do you stay calm when something unexpected happens?
- What do you check every single time before a flight?
- What could someone my age do now to get ready for an aviation career?
Helpful reads
- Earning a merit badge, step by step, From picking a badge to getting the final signature: how to find a counselor, set up meetings safely, work the requirements, and keep your progress., Youth · Families · 6 min read
- Contacting counselors, experts, and organizations, Email and phone scripts, who to ask for, how to follow up, and how to say thanks, with a parent copied every time., Youth · Families · 7 min read
- Choosing your next merit badge, How to pick a badge you'll actually finish: start with what you care about, balance Eagle-required and just-for-fun badges, and make the most of camp., Youth · Families · 6 min read
For leaders & parents
- Contact a local EAA chapter; many offer free introductory flights and programs for youth.
- Plan a troop trip to an aviation museum or airport.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselor — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) (opens in a new tab) — Local chapters run youth aviation programs.
- Federal Aviation Administration (opens in a new tab) — Information on pilot certificates and aviation careers.
- Aviation museum or local airport — See aircraft up close and talk with aviators.
- NASA Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics (opens in a new tab) — Clear explanations and interactive pages on lift, drag, and how planes fly.
- Civil Air Patrol (opens in a new tab) — The Air Force auxiliary's cadet program for youth interested in flying and aerospace.
- Academy of Model Aeronautics (opens in a new tab) — Model aircraft clubs, safety guidelines, and building projects for beginners.
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (opens in a new tab) — Famous aircraft and spacecraft and the stories of the people who flew them.
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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.