First Flight Field Trip FAQs
Basic Information Registration Event Preparation Event Day
Maps Basic Information
What is the First Flight Field Trip? The First Flight Field Trip is a FREE, interactive, multi-subject field trip hosted annually at Honda Center for students to learn and apply their knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and math to the game of hockey. First Flight has been named California’s largest classroom, hosting over 16,000 students and teachers each year.
The Field Trip is split into two segments, the Playground, 8am – 10:45am in the Honda Center parking lot with 75+ interactive exhibits, and the Classroom, 11am-12:30pm in-arena with on- ice lessons from Anaheim Ducks players and staff.
Who should attend First Flight? The academic principles covered in the workbook and at the event have been designed to meet the state’s educational standards for grades 3-6, but the event is appropriate for students and adults of all ages. This event is free of charge for all students; however, schools are responsible for their own transportation.
Are transportation grants available? The Anaheim Ducks do not provide transportation grants, but please visit our Transportation website to learn about other local opportunities available. Please note the application deadlines required for each grant.
What will my students learn? This year’s theme is “Light the Lamp”. There is nothing more exciting in hockey than an Anaheim Ducks goal. Each tally illuminates a red goal light that signals to the team and the crowd, it’s time to celebrate. You’re invited to Honda Center to explore the science behind the goal light. Knowing how to “Light the Lamp” takes more than hockey skills. It will require an understanding of how electricity works and completing a circuit that will take you from the classroom to the ice rink for the 2020 First Flight Field Trip! Based on our 2019 survey, 96% of teachers reported that First Flight helped increase students’ motivation to engage in STEAM subjects.
Registration
How do I register my school for First Flight? Registration begins on Thursday, October 10, 2019 at 10:00am on our website. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis and fills up quickly. You will need to provide a total head count (including teachers and chaperones), as well as anticipated arrival time at Honda Center, so please plan ahead.
Should I register my individual class or our entire school? If possible, please identify one point of contact for your entire school and have them register everyone on the same form. This is the easiest way to prevent duplicate registrations and will help ensure your school sits in the same area.
What is a POD? Within our Playground area, schools have an opportunity to sign up for a POD.* The POD exhibits area is a series of four interactive modules, taught by local educational organizations, prepared for small groups of up to 50 students. These lessons relate directly to the curriculum found in the workbook and provide direct access to exhibits without waiting in lines.
*PODs are subject to availability and will be assigned a few weeks prior to the event. Schools must have received a confirmation ticket with an assigned time slot and group number to participate. All other schools are assigned to our OPEN Playground area.
How do I reserve a POD time? When registering for the First Flight Field Trip, you will have the option to select POD participation. If interested, please select “yes”, and then choose the earliest time your school is able to enter the POD area. To increase your chances of POD participation, we encourage schools to select the earliest time they can arrive as reservations are made on a first come, first serve basis and the 9:00 – 10:30am time slots fill up fast.
How are seats assigned in-arena? Tickets are assigned based on an imperfect formula of your registration time stamp, school size, arrival time, and the number of First Flight Field Trips you have attended in the past.
I just received a waitlist e-mail, what happens next? Please confirm that you would like to be included on our waitlist. We often have schools cancel as the event nears, and we will work our way down the waitlist as quickly as we can. Schools on the waitlist will still have an opportunity to receive official First Flight workbooks for each student and teachers will still have access to additional First Flight related activities and professional developments.
I just received a confirmation e-mail, what should I do now? Congratulations, we look forward to seeing you and your students in March. Please schedule your transportation as early as possible to ensure availability. We will send updates regarding workbooks, POD scheduling (if applicable), and tickets as the event day approaches. Please notify us right away if there are any changes to your registration.
Event Preparation
What time should I schedule our transportation? We encourage you to come as early as your bell schedule allows, but all schools must arrive no later than 10:30am to participate in the Classroom segment. Please take into account morning traffic. The event ends at 12:30pm. All buses can park in Lot 4 of Honda Center (2695 E. Katella Ave, Anaheim, CA 92806)
What happens if our school can no longer attend? Please notify us right away so we can add a school from our waitlist. You can still choose to receive workbooks for your students while supplies last
Can I change my student head count or registration numbers? Please notify us with any changes as soon as possible and we will do our best to accommodate your needs. Once seats have been assigned, we can no longer guarantee ticket availability and any additional tickets will likely be in a different section of the arena.
How do I utilize the workbooks and activity kit? Your classroom will receive an official First Flight Field Trip workbook and activity kit one month prior to the event. Please have your students work through the various activities and complete the ‘Light the Lamp’ Challenge prior to visiting Honda Center. For additional resources, including a teacher’s answer key for the workbook, please visit our First Flight Teachers website.
Are there any other on-line resources available? In addition to the student workbook, we will provide short educational videos to help bring the curriculum to life through real world applications. Please visit our Resources website to watch these videos prior to attending Honda Center.
What should my students bring? Students should bring their backpacks carrying their First Flight Workbook, a writing utensil, and their lunch. We strongly encourage students to wear layers, since the arena can be as cold as 50°F.
Where / when do students eat lunch? All students are responsible for bringing their own lunch and are encouraged to eat during the in-arena portion of the field trip. The Anaheim Ducks do not provide a lunch area for students nor can they store lunches during the field trip. Concession stands will not be open.
This is our first time attending First Flight, do you have any tips or recommendations? Come prepared! It can be overwhelming with 16,000+ students in attendance, but it also is an exciting and highly energetic atmosphere! Please review all of the information and maps provided carefully and pick out the exhibits you want to visit ahead of time. We encourage you to come as early as possible to maximize the time you have in our Playground area. Depending on the size of your group, split into smaller groups to help move through the exhibits more efficiently.
Are there any First Flight souvenirs available for purchase? Students will have an opportunity to purchase a Wild Wingers Kids Club Kit, the official souvenir of the First Flight Field Trip, at a discounted rate of $20. Order forms and additional information will be provided prior to the event. The Anaheim Ducks Team Store will be open on event day.
Event Day
What is the general schedule for First Flight?
First Flight Field Trip Schedule of Events Playground exhibits open (PODS and OPEN 08:00 AM – 10:45 AM Activities) 09:30 AM Honda Center doors open 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM Anaheim Ducks Practice 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Main Program/Educational segment Lunch in Seats during Educational Segment
When should we arrive? The Playground area is open from 8:00 – 10:45am. The largest crowds are typically between 9:30-10:30am, so we encourage schools to arrive early to interact with as many exhibits as possible.
If you are assigned a POD timeslot, please arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled time slot to allow time for parking and check-in.
Where do we park? Parking is FREE for this event. All cars will park in Lot 5, entering from Douglass avenue. All buses will park in Lot 4, entering from Ball Road. Schools with ADA Parking Passes can drop-off students in Lot 3, on the North side of Honda Center. Please see maps and driving directions in the official Event Letter. Please reach out as soon as possible if you will need ADA parking.
Where do we check-in when we arrive? If you are scheduled for a POD timeslot, please follow the signs and proceed to the nearest POD Entrance and Check-In table for further instructions.
If you are assigned to the Open Playground area, there is no need to check-in upon arrival. Please follow signs to the Open Playground area and begin interacting with the various hands- on exhibits or main stage show. First Flight HQ (located near the Southeast Entrance) can answer any additional questions or point you in the right direction.
I am part of a Home School Group, where can I meet up with other families? If you need to pass out tickets and workbooks, there is a “home school meet-up” location designated right outside the Southwest Entrance of Honda Center (see map below). Please be considerate of other home school groups when using this area.
**For all additional questions, please contact Molly Schaus ([email protected])**
Directions and Parking Map PLEASE NOTE: Parking for buses (Lot 4) and cars (Lot 5) are in different locations. Please check the map for their locations.
Seating Map
2020 FIRST FLIGHT EXHIBIT AREA MAP
Parking Map