Virtual Skies
Help Page

Virtual Skies provides students in grades 9-12 with an in-depth look at air traffic management and aviation. Students are introduced to interesting careers using science, mathematics and technology in the fields of aviation and aeronautics. Students are also presented with descriptions of current NASA research in aviation operations systems and safety.

From the Main Menu, you will be able progress through Virtual Skies' seven modules: Airport Design, Communication, Weather, Navigation, Aeronautics, Air Traffic Management, and Research.

Within each module, a navigation menu bar allows you to select different sections of that module or return to the Main Menu. The Tutorial section provides text, graphics, and interactive elements that give you the fundamental background for the subject featured in the module. After completing the Tutorial, go to the Take Control section for interactive activities and simulations that let you put your knowledge to use as you assume different roles in the air traffic system. In the You Decide section, you will be presented with a realistic problem to solve, along with a list of resources you can use to help you arrive at your solution. Finally, check your understanding of the concepts in the module with the on-line quiz in the Certification section. To help you learn the terminology as you progress through each module, the module's nivigation menu provides access to an extensive on-line glossary.

Each module also features a Career Radar section on the navigation menu. This section will help you explore some of the careers related to that module. Click the careers listed beneath the Career Radar icon on the module's navigation menu bar. For each career, you will be presented with the job title, related job titles, job description, areas of expertise required, interests and abilities related to this job, suggested topics to study, and the education/training required. You will then be presented with a series of questions that will help you decide if this career is right for you. If it is, you will be given a list of further resources and suggestions on how to further prepare for that job.

Along with the seven main modules, the Main Menu gives you access to four additional areas. About This Site provides background information on Virtual Skies. The Profiles area gives you a more detailed look at the careers showcased in each of the Career Radar sections. The On-Line Activities area is your gateway to participating in on-line collaborative activities and interacting with professionals and researchers through webcasts and on-line chats. The Teacher's Desk area provides the instructor with a summation of the content provided in each module, information about how to incorporate the content into the classroom and curriculum, a review of the skills, concepts and processes involved within each module, and correlations to the National Education Standards in mathematics, science, geography and technology.

For maximum performance of this site, your system will need to be running Netscape 4.0 or greater (free download available at www.netscape.com) OR Internet Explorer 5.0 or greater (free download available at www.microsoft.com). It will also require a FLASH Plug-in of version 5 or greater (free download available at www.macromedia.com). Your browser should be configured to enable JavaScript, frames, and the ability for pages to open new windows.

This site is rich in interactive multimedia content implemented using JavaScript and Flash 5. However, great efforts have been made to ensure that the content presented in this site will be accessible to visitors with special needs as described in Section 508 of the ADA. These efforts include such standard practices as providing alt tags for inline images, using client-side rather than server-side image maps, and denoting tables used for formatting purposes only. Tabular presentation of data utilizes scope attributes in denoting row and column relationships.

For visitors who must use browsers that support some level of JavaScript but cannot support at least JavaScript 1.2 and Flash 5, we strongly recommend that the browser be set to disable JavaScript entirely. In the case of browsers that do not have JavaScript enabled, interactive activities will not function. However, those pages containing interactive JavaScript or Flash activities will present alternate text descriptions of what is happening in the activity. An alternate, navigation system that is not based on frames is provided for efficient navigation of the site for those using screen readers, and can be accesed from the Virtual Skies Home Page.