Nineteen Potential Pilots Take Their First Flight

It was a very busy day at the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 534 hangar at Leesburg International Airport in Leesburg, FL on Saturday, January 18, 2020 as Young Eagles took to the sky.

Volunteer chapter members started to arrive at 8:30 a.m. to get ready for the arrival of kids and their parents. Tables and chairs were set up to accommodate the expected crowd and have something to write on while filling out the necessary forms.

Six volunteer EAA Chapter 534 pilots with their fixed wing aircraft arrived first and by 9 o’clock the planes were on the ramp and ready to pick up their young charges. These pilots give freely of their time and fuel costs to make this event a success. If you talk to any of them, they will tell you they get just as much out of this experience as the kids do.  That is what keeps them coming back month after month. At about the same time the parking lot across from the hangar was starting to fill up and the “Young Eagles to be” started to stream into the hangar with eager anticipation of a first flight.

The free Young Eagles Flight program is open to youngsters ages 8 to 17. It is designed to give them the experience of flying in a small single engine aircraft with the hope this event will kindle an interest in general aviation that will one day cause them to earn their own private pilot’s license, or as they mature possibly seek out a career in aviation.

During each flight some of the young folks may be lucky enough to actually get the chance to fly the airplane under the watchful eye of their experienced EAA pilots. When they land, they will say “Mom, I actually flew the plane." How cool is that!

As each plane returns to the airport after a 15 or 20 minute flight, you see happy kids with grins from ear to ear chatting excitedly with their parents and friends about their fun experience. Upon completion of the flight, each Young Eagle is given a certificate commemorating their adventure as well as a log book, both signed by their pilot.  They are given access to a free on-line ground school course if they are sufficiently enthused by their experience and want to start studying for a private pilot’s license.

In addition, they can sign up to become an EAA student member and get free admission to 300 science and technology museums across the country.

 It is from this group of Young Eagles that EAA Chapter 534 gets the majority of their Aviation Youth Program Workshop members. This group meets on most Saturdays in the chapter hangar from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to learn more about flying as well as to how to build and repair real airplanes. This program is free to all participants and lunch is included.

 Besides the chapter pilots and planes, on this day 10 additional volunteer members turned out to help with the paperwork, escort kids and parents safely back and forth to the planes and direct aircraft traffic leaving and returning to the ramp area

 Nineteen young folks showed up to take advantage of the Young Eagle program and they brought along their parents or grandparents to witness their event. Many pictures and videos were made. Everybody had a great time.
 
(Images provided with EAA Chapter 534 news release. Top: Luke, Edie, and Gabe Thompson with EAA 534 pilot Bo Wroten. Bottom: EAA pilot Steve Tilford with Young Eagle Ian Elmatti)

FMI: www.534.eaachapter.org