Young Eagles

     Have you ever wondered what it's like to fly?  Young Eagles don't have to imagine what flying is like.  Each Young Eagle will become part of a special group of people who have shared in a common experience --- the thrill of flying!  You will have the chance to actually fly in an airplane and look at the  world below you. You are invited to take to the skies and become a Young Eagle!

     If you are age 8 through 17, contact Richard Foster at 616-538-8849.  He will help prepare you for a demonstration flight in an airplane.  You can ask your volunteer pilot as many questions as you like.  In doing so, you'll learn more about airplanes and the principles of flight.  That's all there is to it.  It's really that simple!

     This is the best part it is Absolutely Free.  The mission of the EAA Aviation Foundation's Young Eagles Program is to provide a motivational aviation experience, focusing on a demonstration flight in an airplane.  These flights are provided free of charge to any youth wishing to participate.  Our goal is to reach 1 million young people by the year 2003 - the dawn of aviation's second century and 50th anniversary of EAA.

     • Each Young Eagle participant will become a member of "Eagle Flight."  They will know the exhilaration and freedom of flight, as shared by a dedicated pilot whose life has been positively influenced by aviation.  A Young Eagle will also come to see and understand - as through the eyes of an eagle - that the true potential of life lies beyond everyday surroundings and may be reached through the pursuit of high personal goals.

      • Every Young Eagle is entered into the "World's Largest Logbook" maintained at the EAA Air Adventure Museum located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  These names are kept for perpetuity alongside the names of aviation's greatest, such as the Wright brothers, Charles Lindbergh, and many more.  Each member will also find the date the flight took place, the type of aircraft and the name of the pilot who shared this experience.

     • A special complimentary issue of EAA's exciting Sport Aviation For Kids magazine will be mailed to each new Young Eagle.  Additional information allows young readers to discover more about the exciting and educational world of aviation.

     The EAA is an international aviation membership association founded in 1953.  More than 170,000 people belong to EAA, with Chapters located in all 50 states and many countries.  Members are aviation enthusiasts of every age group, including many airline and commercial pilots, engineer, business people, even astronauts.  They enjoy all types of airplanes, including "experimental" aircraft (a category of airplanes designated by the FAA, built by individual craftsmen instead of on a factory assembly line).  The Young Eagles Program is sponsored by the EAA Aviation Foundation, a charitable non-profit organization dedicated to the discovery and fulfillment of individual potential through personal flight.

     Flying in an airplane is safer than many other forms of recreation.  Each Young Eagle Flight takes place in a FAA registered airplane flown by a licensed pilot.  The Flight is conducted according to federal regulations.  No aerobatic or non-standard maneuvers will be performed.