Article and Photos by Ted Luebbers, EAA Chapter 534
It was a hot, humid, sunny morning with a few puffy clouds in the sky when 20 Young Eagles took to the sky in general aviation aircraft.
It was Saturday, September 7, when this group of young people converged at the EAA hangar at the Leesburg International Airport to experience the joy of flight in a small single-engine airplane.
This was the Fall opening of the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 534’s monthly Young Eagle Rally.
Starting shortly after 8:30 a.m. the parking lot opposite the hangar began to fill up and kids streamed into the hangar to sign up for some flying fun.
They were followed by excited and anxious parents to see what this event held in store for their children.
For some of these young people, this would be the first time they had ever flown in any airplane. For others, it was a chance to have another entry in their Young Eagle logbook.
What is this Young Eagle mania all about, some people might ask?
This is a free experience to introduce young people ages 8 to 17 to what it is like to be able to step into one of these small planes and experience the wonder of flight.
These flights are provided by EAA all over the world through their local chapters. To date, over 2 million Young Eagle flights have taken place.
The motivation for doing this is to acquaint young people with the freedom and experience of flying. The hope is that one day, as they mature, they might want to become licensed private pilots or kindle an interest in some other area of aerospace.
Some of the other free perks Young Eagles acquire, other than a Commemorative Certificate of their flight this day and a log book signed by their pilot are too numerous to enumerate.
Young Eagles or parents are encouraged to visit the Young Eagles website for the complete list of advantages open to them. < www.youngeagles.org>
Becoming a Young Eagle unlocks a lot of advantages for them, such as a free Sporty’s online Learn to Fly Course to learn the basic knowledge they would have to know to pass a Federal Aviation Administration written exam. Furthermore, EAA will reimburse the student upon successful completion of the test.
After completing the first three volumes of Sporty’s Learn to Fly Course, they are entitled to one free flight lesson at a flight school of their choice.
EAA also sponsors Scholarships to learn how to fly such as the Ray Aviation Flight Scholarship which will award up to $11,000 to be used for flight instruction. These are awarded through qualified local chapters to young people ages 15 for gliders and 16 to19 for a private pilot’s license.
To date, EAA Chapter 534 has been honored to award six of the Ray Aviation Scholarships, resulting in six new licensed pilots.
If you are the parents of a young person who has a strong interest in aviation, the type that will never miss a chance to look skyward at the sound of an airplane overhead, you should contact your local EAA Chapter to see what they have to offer.
On this day at the Leesburg International Airport, the chapter provided seven EAA pilots and their private planes to fly the Young Eagles. There is never any charge for this. They volunteer their time and pay for their fuel.
The chapter also provided eight other members to handle the paperwork, run the computer, and explain the building projects going on in the hangar to the kids and their parents.
If you would like more information about National EAA or EAA Chapter 534 please go to the following websites; www.EAA.org and www.EAAchapter534.org
