Flying Young Eagles

LowanSlow

LowanSlow

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Midmoflyer
Hi all, this week end ill be flying young eagles for a local flyin. Since ive gotten my ppl , ive tryed to take as many people flying as i can, most have never been up in a GA plane or been around anything aviation related. My question is for the pilots who have flown YE before, whats some tips on making the flight go smoothly with the younger kids ( i havent flown any one younger than 18). What was your experience with this program? Im probably over thinkin this, its just a personal mission of mine to get more people hooked on aviation. Thanks
 
I haven't flown Young Eagles, but I've flown a number of CAP cadets now. They are a bit older, but the most important thing is, bring a booster seat or a big pillow. The biggest one you can find.

An 8 year old will have trouble seeing over the panel of a 172.

Talk to the kid ahead of time to make sure they can follow instructions. I had one cadet who simply couldn't stop playing with the rudder pedals (I think he's ADHD). Not good. Some pilots like to insist on pushing the right seat all the way back prior to entering the pattern, but I prefer not to mess with it in flight, ever.

Give a good safety briefing, especially rules about getting anywhere near the prop (even stopped), or running/screwing around on the flight line.

Tell them to pee before flight, even if they "don't have to."

Give them controls whenever -- and as much as -- you feel it's safe. They will have trouble leveling off or making changes in configuration; you'll need to help with the trim.

Be ready for the kids to make FAR too strong corrections.

Give a brief lecture about attitude flying before takeoff. In particular, they will assume that descents mean to point the nose down. They will overdo that, so you really want them pulling power instead.

If you have a glass panel, turn it off or dim it, or it will occupy all their attention. Make the point that flying the airplane VFR requires very little instrumentation. Occasionally, I'll turn off the master to make the point that you don't even need any electrics to fly the plane.
 
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Here's a short I put together from a Young Eagles Flight last month. I have another couple from last weekend that I haven't cut yet.

Safety brief first, explain what will happen, talk to them like an adult, explain what you are doing/about to do (e.g., power change after takeoff, etc.), demonstrate-do for letting them fly and guard the controls, be ready for trim and throttle. Point out things to look at/focus on, and have fun, so will they.

Have a plan and stick to it for time as well as what you intend to let the YE try.


'Gimp
 
I am YE coordinator for my EAA chapter. Make sure you have all your paperwork, BFR, medical, EAA membership, etc up to date.

We usually do a talk with the kids about the flight controls, plane etc. sometimes we have a static display plane that they can see and learn on prior to the flight.

Do a safety brief and then try to explain what's going on durin the flight, landmarks from the air, etc.

I ask if they like roller coasters and if they do pull up about 1.5g and then go to less then 1g. Maybe not enough to float a pen but they usually really like that.

Good luck and thanks for helping out.
 
You determine how much fun the flight is for the young eagle. some of the participants just want to go for a ride and look out the window,others are very enthusiastic,and want to learn. I like to give them the opportunity to take the controls ,and usually extend the flight. Also like to show them the basics of the airplane and avionics. Young eagle flights are great fun for the young eagle and the pilot.
 
I've flown several Young Eagle events, as well as Challenge Air events. One rule, every kid is different. Try to get to know them a little while walking out to the plane.

If this is their first flight in a GA plane or first flight ever, they're usually a little (or a lot) nervous. I try to judge the depth of the walk around based on their whole "attitude" towards the flight. If they seem real apprehensive, I try to get them talking by asking them about their interest in airplanes and flying but don't bombard them with a bunch of aviation terms. If they seem real responsive to all the aviation lingo, then I'll go into greater detail, etc..

Always get a picture with them. Mom/Dad/Whoever, of course, want to take lots of pics. Let them know it's okay. I'll offer everyone in the group a chance to sit in the plane, ask questions, etc. It's an experience (positive, of course) for everyone, not just the Young Eagle.

I won't go into the whole safety issues, that'll be covered in your briefing beforehand. After you're both strapped in and ready to start, I explain everything I'm doing. Sometimes, based on the kid, I'll even ask them to read the specific checklist. Get them involved.

Talk about the whole event to them. "Now, I'm going to call the ground controllers to get taxi clearance to the runway" "Okay, we're cleared for takeoff, I'm gonna taxi to the centerline of the runway", "It's gonna get a bit noisy when I push the throttle forward and you may be pressed back in your seat", "Okay, we're flying"...you get the idea.

I always, well 99.9% of the time, let them fly. The kids that were a bit nervous will just come alive right before your eyes. It's amazing. Give them a "mini" flight lesson. But, if you're a little uncomfortable with them flying the plane, don't sweat it. This should be fun for both of you!!

A couple of things to consider during these events is that you're going to be in a fairly crowded airspace. The normal traffic of the airport plus all the Young Eagle flights, especially when the first flights of the day are going out. Typically, there are two routes to fly. One route for the planes that fly under 100kts, one route for the planes that fly over 120kts and you'll have given altitudes and waypoints for each route. Not all pilots interpret the instructions the same, really keep your head on a swivel.

You're gonna enjoy the event. I guarantee it!
 
Thank you all for the replies, after reading your comments i think im on par with what to expect, like i said in the op, i take as many people for their first rides as i can, so i can definitely understand any nervousness they might have beforehand, ive just never taken any one younger than myself. And yes,Im really looking foward to this event since the YE programs is what gave me my first GA ride 8 yrs ago.
 
AcroGimp said:
Here's a short I put together from a Young Eagles Flight last month....
'Gimp
Click to expand...


John, your video made me a little homesick. I spent a lot of back-seat time in the pattern at I.B. in the 80's, during my aircrew days. I've always wanted to go back and do some flying (from the from seat) in Southern CA.


I flew a few Young Eagle flights out of Lemoore and Hanford some years ago. I think EAA has a lot of good info on their Young Eagles website specifically for prospective YE pilots.

The biggest thing, like others have said is keep the mission simple and explain as much as you can about what it is you're doing (especially in in tandem seat aircraft). John gave a great example of this in his vid.
 
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Gonna throw in a couple of things. Make sure you have sick sacks in the airplane. Before loading I ask two questions, do you get car sick and do you like roller coasters. If the first one is yes and the second no, I would make darn sure they know where the sick sack is and how to use it.

I usually go through some of the instruments with them. Most will pick up on the altimeter very quickly (big hand, little hand analogy to a clock). Then we talk about turns and give them the controls for awhile.

Have fun and enjoy.
 
EppyGA said:
Gonna throw in a couple of things. Make sure you have sick sacks in the airplane. Before loading I ask two questions, do you get car sick and do you like roller coasters. If the first one is yes and the second no, I would make darn sure they know where the sick sack is and how to use it
Click to expand...

This! I had a little bugger hurl in the back seat on my first YE day out!

Many kids will be quiet but will be having the time of their lives. They may seem almost uninterested but are raving to their parents when they get out.

I found talking through the whole process made it much more exciting for the kids...basically talking out loud all of the things you are doing during the run up and procedures. Many were just as excited about the process as they were the flying and that is what got them excited about flying...thus the whole point of the program.
 
Yeah, I noticed that too.

The kids will often say very little in the air and then get real excited afterward. I think it's just concentration or perhaps a little intimidation, but it does look a little like disinterest. Until afterward.
 
It depends on the age. I normally put the oldest or most interested kid in the right seat. With kids under 8 or so, they tend to talk continuously and aren't too interested in hearing anything about the flight. Older kids you can usually explain things to and let them fly. If they live in the area or go to school nearby we often do a circle over their house/school.

I got a nice letter from the EAA thanking me for not killing any young eagles.
 
Having only a two seater ,I get to fly with only one young eagle at a time. Makes it much more fun for the child. The plane also has sticks,giving them the feeling of flying a fighter airplane.
 
Be aware of the kid you put in the right seat that has lots of Flight Sim time, you might be in for some surprises, some good some not so good ;)
 
If you want to have real good turnouts to your events, I'd suggest reaching out to youth groups such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. I've seen a few such events that just did general advertising and only had a modest turnout. A more targeted advertising towards the type of kids that are involved in outdoor activities can result in a larger turnout.
 
ChemGuy said:
I ask if they like roller coasters and if they do pull up about 1.5g and then go to less then 1g. Maybe not enough to float a pen...
Click to expand...
Probably enough to float someone's breakfast...
 
Be sure someone takes their adult chapperones up too. I was at the airport just going to tool around for a while to keep current, and ended up taking a cub scout troops' (they were the young eagles) den mother up as she had never been in a small plane before. She really appreciated it, as she was feeling left out!
 
I fly YE every chance I get. And I've done lots of them. I don't go heavy on the rules or regulations, just take them flying. I do the +/- a few g's as a means of demonstrating the 3-axis controls. Then I hand the controls over to them and talk them through the flying. I always have pillow to sit them up a little higher for the younger kids.

I try to under emphasize the difficulty and over emphasize the fun and ease of flying.
 
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