A Very Cool Day.....

[Geico266]

I went to a local EAA fly in breakfast and what happened was pretty amazing to me anyway. We were all standing around drinking coffee and a local non flying family was there with their 12 year old girl. She was cute as a bug blue eyes, a full set of braces, and pretty shy, but she love helicopters and she was drooling over one sitting on the ramp.

It was a modern turban air ambulance that was being ferried from somewhere to somewhere. The ferry pilot shows up and the shy little girl stands there like a love sick puppy wanting to look at it closer so I encouraged her to go take a look I'm sure the pilot would not mind at all. He showed her around and what happened next was truly amazing.

While The little girl and the pilot were preflghting the helo I was talking to her parents and they were saying how she is just enamored with helicopters and she just read a book call "How To Fly Helicopters". We thought that was pretty funny until we see pilot and the little girl walking back to the group. He was impressed with the little girl and her knowledge of helos and asked her parents if they would like to go for a ride!

Mom stayed on the ground and dad and daughter saddled up with the little girl in the left seat. After take off we later learned he let her fly it! Including a hover and pattern work! This went on for 30 mins and they returned he dropped them off and off he went.

You can only imagine the grin on her face! She was so excited and calm at the same time. She wanted to go again!

Somehwhere, there is a ferry pilot tonight having a beer after a long day relaxing for the next leg of his mission.... maybe wondering what spark he ignited in this little tin grin wide eyed little girl. If he is reading this I want to thank him, and assure him that little girl will never forget your kindness or generosity.

Today was a very cool day.

 

[EppyGA]

 

[Tom-D]

Magic happens when you aren't worried about the cost.

 

[Mike Smith]

Not to hijack, but it was a very cool day. My wife and I were in Mobile on a quick getaway for our 10th. I found out about a fly in at a quaint little grass strip airport near Bayou La Batre. Turns out there was one of the original Tuskegee airmen Stearman trainers there. They were giving Young Eagle rides in the Stearman! there were some wide eyed kiddos climbing out of that one.

 

[Jay Honeck]

Great stories, guys!

Let's hope these kids get "the Bug", and keep the GA ball rolling....

 

[murphey]

We do Young Eagles the 4th Sat of every month. This past week, we had 46 Girl Scouts working on the Aviation Badge. There was one, very small, in absolute tears. Turns out because she was small, it was assumed she wasn't old enough (8 yo). Nope, she was 8, and I got to teach the informal ground school. Not only the little one, but 6 others decided they wanted to be in my class (altho all of them had already gone thru the 2 hr ground school the evening before).

No stinkin' airplane models for me, no way! We went on the ramp and examined a low-wing RV6, a high-wing C182, and a Pitts that can't decide if it's a high-wing or low-wing. It was the first time any of them had seen bi-plane up close. My 15 min ground school ended up being 45 min. Of course the munchkin got her YE ride.

And I got a really big hug from the munchkin, and she wanted to take me home, too. She can't wait until she's 12 so she can take glider lessons...

Yes, I know they can start earlier, but I don't think she'll be able to reach the pedals before then.

Forget the RV grin - go for the Young Eagle giggles & grins.

 

[Tracey]

That's a sweet story, Geico. Who knew you were the soft and sensitive type.

 

[Geico266]

That's a sweet story, Geico. Who knew you were the soft and sensitive type.

Ya, thank you. I'm not as mean as I seem. Kids are my soft spot.

I still can't get that little girl's smile off my mind, braces and all.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

Cool!!

 

[Threefingeredjack]

As a young boy I was treated to a few minutes sitting in the cockpit of a Kaman Husky while a friend of my father's who flew for Columbia Helicopters did a pre-flight. At age 8 I knew I would one day fly a helicopter. I hope this young girl has as great an adventure ahead of her as I did.

 

[Anthony]

That's what it's all about.

 

[kimberlyanne546]

Ya, thank you. I'm not as mean as I seem. Kids are my soft spot.

I still can't get that little girl's smile off my mind, braces and all.

This, and my recent CFI (training) flights, makes me want to be a Young Eagles pilot in July.

Also, Saturday was the coolest day of my entire life. Pilots I've never met stuck me in 3 airplane flights, an all day affair, doing formations. I video'd most of the manuevers and Cloud Ahoy'd the whole thing, will post when all is uploaded. I was treated just like everyone else, even allowed to speak at de-brief and give pilot feedback. I felt like I was in "my" element. One pilot in a room of many pilots. Nobody made fun of my lack of experience, everyone loved my stories of Boonville, all could relate to my frustrations and told me similar stories of their early years. Best. Day. Ever.