Nearly 60 boys and girls ages 8-17 had an opportunity to experience an airplane ride on Saturday and Sunday, June 13 and 14, as Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 315 of the North Jersey Shore hosted a Young Eagles Flight Rally at the Lakewood Airport.

Since the program was launched in 1992, Volunteer EAA pilots world wide have flown almost 2 million young people who reside in more than 90 countries. The local chapter has participated nearly every year at Monmouth, Middlesex, and Ocean County airports.

There is never a charge for Young Eagle flights. Pilots taking part are all volunteers and happy to explain about the different types of airplanes involved. They also demonstrated how pilots ensure safety by conducting a pre-flight inspection of the airplane before every flight. The pilots spoke about what makes an airplane fly, what it takes to get a pilot’s license, and career possibilities in the world of aviation. Even if the young people never pursue a pilot’s license, the EAA hopes to create friends of aviation.

Following the flight, each young person, received a logbook and a certificate making him or her an official Young Eagle. Their names will then be entered into the “World’s Largest Logbook,” which is on permanent display at the EAA Air Adventure Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The logbook is also accessible at www.youngeagles.org.

Additional information about EAA and the EAA Young Eagles program is available on the Internet. Access to EAA’s Home Page is available at www.eaa.org. The Young Eagles web page is www.youngeagles.org

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