Matthew Berk, an aerospace engineering major at Mississippi State University, recently achieved great accomplishments in the world of rocket-propelled gliders.
Berk said he began building and flying gliders seven years ago and loved it ever since. Because of his love and passion for flying, four years ago, he decided to search for local organizations around Oktibbeha County in which he could fly gliders with other rocketing enthusiasts. It did not take him long to find the Sky Dawgs on MSU’s campus, and he joined when he was only 13 years old.
Greg Stewart, director of outreach at Aurora Flight Sciences in Columbus, noticed Berk’s talent and encouraged him to try out for the United States team in Michigan. He followed the advice from his mentor and has now been on the team since 2007.
This has led to many opportunities for Berk that he could not have experienced any other way. Two of these experiences were international championships in Spain and Serbia, said Berk
In 2008, Berk competed in the World Space Modeling Championship in Spain. He had a good experience, but he did not do as well as he would have hoped.
“I was in the position for the silver medal, but I was disqualified based on a technicality,” Berk said. “[However], being in the position for silver medal, I knew I had the capability of doing better in two years.”
More recently, he competed in the 2010 World Space Modeling Championship in Serbia, where he came in fourth place in individual flying. The U.S. junior team won the gold medal. This was the first time in nearly six years the team received that high of an honor.
Ryan Woebkenberg, a team mate of Berk’s in the competition said he thinks Berk is very talented.
“Matthew is a rare combination of excellent pilot, great builder and knowledgeable aerodynamicist,” he said.
Woebkenberg commended the junior team for flying well despite less than ideal conditions.
“They all flew with guts and heart and had to take many calculated risks to get the best possible flight times,” he said.
Berk’s father, Michael Berk, said Matthew’s success is due to his work ethic.
“As a long-time educator, I can say that Matthew is one of the most serious students I have seen in years,” Berk said. “His long hours and commitment to craft, research and practice clearly put him on the international stage. Relative to his scientific studies, he left me in the dust years ago.”
Berk said most people know what remote-controlled airplanes are, but Berk’s gliders are a bit different. They are built from kits or from scrap wood, carbon fibers and fiberglass.
As implied by the name, these gliders are propelled by rocket motors. In competitions, each contestant is issued a motor of the same size around which to construct his or her gliders.
The gliders are then launched vertically to about 800 feet in the sky.
At this point, the motor goes out, and each contestant attempts to keep his or her rocket glider in the air longer than the other competitors. Each competitor is allowed to use only two gliders in the competition.
Berk lives on a farm in Oktibbeha County where he was home-schooled before starting college. The location and openness of his home and farm make it a prime place to build and test his gliders.
He also has his student pilot license with which he piloted his first solo flight at age 14.  Berk hopes to someday get his degree in aerospace engineering and work for a private aerospace company, he said.
Berk said he has really enjoyed flying gliders, and he greatly enjoyed the experience in Serbia.
“It was a really great situation,” said Berk. “It’s really good to see something you have made from scratch fly.”