Meet the Expert: Cran Middlecoat, pilot and aerospace nerd
Born in Brisbane, Cran has had a lifelong obsession with all things aerospace. Being a pilot since the age of 16, his career has taken him from flying clinic runs for the Royal Flying Doctor Service in outback Australia, to being qualified on multiple commercial jet airliner types. Cran currently flies the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with one of Australia’s leading international airlines.
Cran is also a qualified Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) controller, being one of the first in Australia to be granted Chief Pilot approval by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. This position involved overseeing and facilitating a basic drone controllers training program for Brisbane high school students.
Another keen interest shared jointly with his sons, is rocketry. During Australia’s first International Model Rocketry meet in 2015, Cran witnessed how engaging rocketry was for children of all ages and developed It’s Rocket Science Adventures to promote the significant educational benefits that the science of rocketry and flight could offer all school students across multiple subjects. With his love of public speaking and passion for aero-science, it is Cran’s desire to inspire the aerospace professionals of tomorrow.
Cran has a passion for teaching kids about aerospace engineering and aviation!
You can learn more about his 
company HERE!
Be sure to take a look at all of the COOL things that Cran does in his presentations and FLIGHT & SPACE BASED HOLIDAY ADVENTURES!
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Challenge: Go outside and see if you can see a cool plane. Or perhaps ask your parents to take you to an airport to watch planes take off and land. Share with your family (or with Cran! your picture)
We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our X (Twitter) , Instagram or Facebook page.
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Highlighted Book for this Episode!
Book List:
Explore Forces and Motion!: With 25 Great Projects by Jennifer Swanson (Author), Bryan Stone (Illustrator)
Awesome Engineering Activities for Kids: 50+ Exciting STEAM Projects to Design and Build by Christina Schul
Planes: From the Wright Brothers to the Supersonic Jet by Jan van der Veken
Jet Plane: How It Works by David Macaulay, Sheila Keenan
Spy Planes by Therese Shea
One Minute Paper Airplanes Kit: 12 Pop-Out Planes, Easily Assembled in Under a Minute by Andrew Dewar
