Recently 12 young people got a pleasant surprise at a Young Eagles Rally by experiencing flight in both fixed-wing aircraft and a jet-powered helicopter.
This took place at Leesburg International Airport (KLEE) in Florida March 2, 2024, thanks to the members of Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 534.
According to officials, EAA Chapter 534 tries to run a Young Eagles event for kids once a month to give them the experience of taking a flight in a small single engine aircraft.
Lately, the chapter has had problems with weather that caused cancellations or rescheduling of these events. It also looked dubious that this one might be a washout as well, due to a strong cold front bearing down on Central Florida.
At 7 a.m. Saturday morning chapter VP John Weber took a close look at the weather and concluded they could squeeze it in before the storm hit the area.
The Young Eagles, their parents, and friends poured into the EAA hangar to complete the paperwork and be assigned to a chapter pilot and plane.
Festivities began with a demonstration of how a pilot would do a preflight for their aircraft. Chuck Troutman taxied his newly built Zenith 601 to the front of the hangar for this. Student pilot and Squadron 534 youth group member Nick Hopkins went through the procedure and explained what to look for.
Next came the flights. During these 20- to 30-minute flights the kids learn a lot about what makes an airplane fly and might actually get a chance to get the feel of the controls under the watchful eye of their EAA pilot.
The hope is that this experience will kindle an interest in aviation so that later on they might want to become private pilots themselves or become interested in some other aspect of aviation.
Upon completion of the flight each Young Eagle received a commemorative certificate of their flight and an official log book signed by their pilot.
Additional perks include a free EAA Student Membership and free access to the Sporty’s Learn to Fly on line course.
During the March 2024 rally, EAA Chapter 534 provided six pilots, flying five fixed wing single engine planes and a jet-powered helicopter.
There were also 15 chapter members available to help with the paperwork, escorting folks back and forth to the ramp, and explaining the aircraft projects going on in the hangar.
EAA Chapter 534 also has an active aviation youth program called Squadron 534. When parents and children discover this, the Young Eagles event may become the catalyst for joining up, officials noted.
Here they will work alongside chapter mentors learning how to use tools properly, build and repair experimental aircraft, and have access to the chapter’s flight simulators. This is a great way to keep that interest they may have in aviation moving forward, according to chapter officials.
For more information: EAAChapter534.org
