Before you begin, download the Airport Buildings Workbook (K-6)! It includes the Module 4 quiz and helps as you finish the lesson.

By the end of this module, you will complete:

• Airport Buildings Assignment
• Airport Layout Plan - Part 4
• Module 4 Quiz (can be found in the Airport Buildings Workbook (K-6))
• Add airport buildings to your airport in Minecraft

Now it's time to start adding all the buildings to your airport! Some airports have lots of buildings, and some just have a few. But every airport is different and that's what makes it fun. Try your best to make each building look like the real thing!

You can build things like the terminal (where passengers go), hangars (where airplanes rest), and even fuel spots for planes. This takes time, so don't rush! Just have fun and do your best!

Hint: Want to see what your airport looks like in real life? Ask a grown-up to help you take a tour of one near you. You'll get cool ideas for your Minecraft airport!
Airports are busy places with lots of different buildings! Some are big and have many things like parking lots, towers, restaurants, and even little shops. Smaller airports might only need a place for planes to park and take off.

In this part of the Challenge, you'll learn about the buildings at your airport. Most airports have a terminal (where people wait for planes), hangars (where planes go to rest or get fixed), and maybe even a control tower (where people help planes land and take off safely).
Want to learn more? Check out cool buildings like fire stations (called ARFF), places that help pilots (called FBOs) and fuel areas for airplanes!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Determine types of buildings and their function on your airport.
• Are there restrictions on where buildings may be located?
• What kind of buildings could your airport use in the future that are not there now?

Airport Development Tasks:

• Research what buildings exist on your airport
• Develop the main buildings in your Minecraft airport

As you build, refer to the information on this page and in the Airport Buildings Workbook (K-6).

The airport terminal is a special building where people go before they get on a plane. It is where we park cars, check our bags, and get ready to fly! After you go through the terminal, you head out to where the airplanes are.

Some terminals are small and simple. Others are really big, with lots of hallways, stores, and places to eat! Every airport is different, and the terminal helps people get to their planes safely. Can you identify what kind of terminal is at your airport?

A hangar is a big building where airplanes go to rest, get cleaned, or get fixed when something is not working right. It is kind of like a garage but for planes!

Some hangars even have little offices inside where pilots can get ready for their flights. Not every airport has the same kind of hangar. Some are big, some are small, and some airports don't have any at all.

If there is no hangar, pilots can use something called a tie-down. That means the plane is safely strapped to the ground so it doesn't move if it gets windy or stormy. It is not as safe as a hangar, but it works pretty well especially when the weather is nice!

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Air traffic controllers work in tall towers at airports. These towers help them see all the planes on the ground and in the sky.

The towers can be big or small, and they can look really cool or just simple. Not every airport has a tower, though!

When there is no tower, the pilots have to talk to each other using radios to keep everyone safe. Have you ever seen a control tower at an airport?

Airplanes need special fuel to fly, and this fuel is kept in big tanks at airports. These tanks are called fuel farms.

The tanks can be big or small, depending on how many airplanes need fuel. Trucks come to these tanks, fill up with fuel, and then drive over to the airplanes to give them what they need to fly.

Have you ever seen how airplanes get their fuel at an airport?

FAA's From the Flight Deck video series shows real runway approaches and taxi operations using cockpit-mounted cameras, combined with diagrams and visual graphics that highlight hot spots and other safety-sensitive areas.

Students in the Airport Design Challenge can use these videos to better understand how airports look and operate from a pilot’s perspective.

Watch this example video featuring Richard Lloyd Jones Jr. Airport (RVS) in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

There are many different types of buildings on each airport. Visit your airport and take photos of major landmarks, buildings, and other structures that are unique. Send us 3-5 photos with descriptions for each one.

Hint: Use your photos to add important details to your Minecraft airport!

Next, update your hand-drawn Airport Layout Plan (ALP) by adding the major buildings. Pay attention to building size, placement, and purpose.

When complete, take a clear photo of your drawing and email it to avsed.challenge@faa.gov. Include your name (or team name) and airport in the subject line.

Example:

• Kids' First Flight (Video): Parents! Help your little ones prepare for their first flight on an airplane!
• Airport Terminals (Article): Check out this page for excellent examples of terminals, why we have them, and how different terminals are used.
• Airport Hangars (Video): What Is a Hangar In an Airport? In this informative video, we’ll break down the concept of a hangar and its essential role in aviation.
• Air Traffic Control Towers (Video): Are you interested in air traffic control? This video tours a tower and will tell you all about them!
• Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) (Video): One other building that you may find on your airport is a fire station! These special stations are known as ARFF and provide specially trained fire fighters to help in case of an aircraft accident.
• Google Earth & Google Maps: Using these overhead views, you should be able to identify some of the buildings mentioned above.