Frequently Asked Questions:
Why is the team called SolarBubbles?
Where do you fly your aircraft?
Who participates in SolarBubbles?
How can I join SolarBubbles?

Q: Why is the team called SolarBubbles?

A: The team name of SolarBubbles is a bit odd and we get this question quite a bit.  The founding members of  SolarBubbles originally worked on a C-9 micro-gravity project in which they were researching the formation of bubbles in liquids in micro-gravity.  This project was known as SpaceBubbles.  When they had completed their research on this topic, they looked for a new project to work on.  They decided to attempt to build the world’s smallest solar-powered, autonomous UAV that had a continuous flight time of 36 hours.  As they switched projects, they had a hard time coming up with a name for the new project and temporarily called the team SolarBubbles, for the use of solar power. The name never ended up getting changed, thus the student team is still known as SolarBubbles, even though it has nothing to do with bubbles.

Q: Where do you fly your aircraft?

A: The main flying location for SolarBubbles is "Field of Dreams" remote control field in Milan, MI. This is an Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) field located roughly 20 minutes from our lab in the Wind Tunnel Building on North Campus. All of our pilots are AMA certified and fly our remote control planes according to AMA and FAA guidelines.

To get to the "Field of Dreams" from the FXB:

1.            Go East on Hayward until the stoplight
2.            At the light turn left, onto Huron Parkway
3.            Take Huron Parkway North to Plymouth Rd.
4.            Turn right onto Plymouth Rd. and drive East until it crosses US-23
5.            Get on Southbound US-23, and go about 14 miles
6.            Take exit 27, at Carpenter Rd.
7.            Make a left off the exit ramp
8.            Then make a right immediately after the bridge onto Arkona Rd.
9.            Follow Arkona Rd. through a sharp left turn, and then drive for about ½ a mile
10.          Turn right at the first crossroad, Sanford Rd.
11.          The entrance to the flying field is on the left, just after the railroad tracks. 

Q: Who participates in SolarBubbles?

A: Undergraduate, graduate and even high school students have participated in SolarBubbles. Many of our members are engineers but many fields of study have been represented (including business, medicine and english). Anyone who is motivated, interested and willing to work is very welcome! Currently our membership is predominantly Aerospace undergraduate students from freshmen to seniors. There are also several graduate students from the Aerospace Engineering Department who participate in SolarBubbles. Our current advisers include the Aerospace Engineering Professors Ella Atkins, Pete Washabaugh, and Luis Bernal.

 

Q: How can I join SolarBubbles?

A: If you are interested in joining the SolarBubbles team, or just want to learn more about the group, email solarbubbles@umich.edu and we can find out what your interests are and find a time to meet. Alternatively, stop by one of our weekly meetings that are listed in the calendar on our homepage.