Working with an AIAA Team

Hello! My name is James Liu. As a senior mechanical engineering student, I am required to complete a design project as a test of my learning and abilities in order to graduate. Because of my keen interest in aircraft and my position as the chair for the University of Memphis Student Chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), I found a unique calling to the annual Design/Build/Fly Competition. The goal of this competition is to complete a remote-controlled aircraft, from sketch to flight. While certainly a daunting task with high stakes, I was able to get permission and a team together to undertake the challenge.

With only a short period of time left before the competition in the spring, my team and I have been busy creating the aircraft and material to be used in the final report. Primarily, the challenges for the project are associated with collaboration, not the aircraft itself. I truly enjoy working in groups, but it is always difficult for me to coordinate meetings and convey ideas. This is further exacerbated by the nature of our work environment; we are college students with jobs, classes, responsibilities, and lives. Just like the complex system that keeps the aircraft in the air, the team is an intricate puzzle that must work together. We are all individuals with different ideas and backgrounds, and simply understanding each other can require a great deal of effort. Deadlines, disagreements, and difficulties all work against us from something as simple as deciding on a wheel to things as complicated as wing spar construction. Despite this, I believe working as a team on a project is an extremely rewarding experience, and I am happy to have the opportunity. Against all odds, we have been successful in our efforts, and I see a bright future for us.