Young Eagles today

[Diana]

We had a great time today with the Young Eagles flights. Three of us took 35 kids. This was their reward for completing the Mark Twain reading program this year.

They were a fun bunch, and very appreciative. I must have heard "Thank you!" at least 50 times today and got big hugs from them all. They all said they were going to read all the books next year so they could get to fly again next year with us.

One little girl started saying "OH, this is FUN!" as soon as we started to taxi and kept saying it till she got out of the airplane when we came back in.

Had the usual comments about how small things were and how they looked like toys. The new comments were "Those cows look like chocolate chips" and "the trees look like broccoli"

There were a lot of smiles today. Especially from those who got their hands on the controls and flew the plane.

Forty more Young Eagles to take next Monday. I can't wait.

 

[gibbons]

Diana,

That looks like fun! I hope I'll be able to get there in time to help Monday.

Chip

 

[Diana]

Diana,

That looks like fun! I hope I'll be able to get there in time to help Monday.

Chip

Thanks, that would be great. Most of our Young Eagle pilots are farmers and they're REALLY busy right now. So far it's just the two of us.

 

[Toby]

Great photo, Diana. I love their comments about the cows and the trees. How wonderful that you were able to introduce so many kids to this experience! How many rides did you give?

 

[Diana]

Great photo, Diana. I love their comments about the cows and the trees. How wonderful that you were able to introduce so many kids to this experience! How many rides did you give?

Thanks Toby. These kids really give me a lot of energy with their excitement and enthusiasm and sense of wonder. It's like recharging your battery.

I took eleven kids, so I did four flights. We flew over town, their school, their houses and then flew around the countryside for awhile. Each flight lasted about 20 minutes. Tom did an en masse preflight walk-around the airplane to start with to teach them about airplane parts and functions. Then each group gets the standard briefing when they get in with me. Doors, seat belts, sic sac location, etc. I always let them know they can ask me questions at any time about anything, and they can tell me if they don't feel well or are worried about anything. We have a very open line of communication.

One group of three girls has gone with me the past two years and asked to go with me again. We had a lot of fun, a lot of laughing, and some learning tossed in along the way.

 

[Dave Siciliano]

Diana:

How do I say you're superwoman without it sounding like I'm comparing you to Linda Carter?

You're great.!!
Looking forward to seeing you at Gastons.

Taking kids up is one of my favorite things. I'm taking a 13-year-old to Palm Springs in a couple weeks along with a Dad and his Daughter who will drive back in a car grandpa is giving her. Sure beats what I do for a living all week!!

Best,

Dave

 

[bbchien]

Taking kids up is one of my favorite things. I'm taking a 13-year-old to Palm Springs in a couple weeks along with a Dad and his Daughter who will drive back in a car grandpa is giving her. Sure beats what I do for a living all week!!Best,Dave

One of the sweetest things that you can do is to introduce a teen to flight and watch him/her eventually win a chair at American Eagle

 

[Shipoke]

Well Diana , I'll bet you enjoyed it as much as the kids ,i know i do ever time i fly Young Eagles.Keep up the good work. Dave G.

 

[Diana]

Diana:

How do I say you're superwoman without it sounding like I'm comparing you to Linda Carter?

You're great.!!

Oh gosh Dave, you're making me blush, you're so sweet!

I only wish I looked like Linda Carter; I'll bet she STILL looks good.

Looking forward to seeing you at Gastons.

Me, too! How about a leisurely flight around the lake?

Taking kids up is one of my favorite things. I'm taking a 13-year-old to Palm Springs in a couple weeks along with a Dad and his Daughter who will drive back in a car grandpa is giving her. Sure beats what I do for a living all week!!

I love your stories about your trips with your nieces. Uncle Dave must be their favorite uncle.

 

[AdamZ]

Diana: When you take young eagles up where do you take them? Just around the pattern, to a nearby field? How long is the flight and finally I assume you take 2-3 kids at a time in a 4 seater so who decides who the lucky soul is who sits right seat?

 

[Diana]

Diana: When you take young eagles up where do you take them? Just around the pattern, to a nearby field? How long is the flight

It all depends on how many kids we have to take and how many airplanes are available. With smaller groups or just one flight we take the kids over their house, town (town of 4000 people, so it doesn't take long to fly over town ), and over their farm or grandma's farm if they live out in the country. Then I ask them what they would like to see, local landmarks, etc. If I see a farmer burning a field I'll fly over that so they can see the flames and fly through a puff of smoke. If there has been recent flooding, we will follow the Big Muddy. Stuff like that.


With larger groups like today, we fly over town and then a town 4 miles north and then a small town 4 miles southwest and then back to the airport. That way we can keep track of each other if several airplanes are in the air at one time. We're in the air 20 to 25 minutes that way.

and finally I assume you take 2-3 kids at a time in a 4 seater so who decides who the lucky soul is who sits right seat?

I try to let them work it out themselves. Sometimes weight and balance will dictate. If one of them has a history of motion sickness I will put them in front. If one has been in the front in the past, then they go in back. When all else fails, we toss a coin.

 

[Dave Siciliano]

You're right 'bout the fun with my nieces!! One of the neatest parts is how they bring friends their own age along. I've taken a bunch of teens up in the area where they live. Today, I took two nieces to Maddison for Brunch and one of their friends. The new friend had a ball.

I did the negative g thing last summer with 'em, and now they all have pics sitting in the back seat with something floating above their hand!!

Around the lake sounds fine at Gastons.

Best,

Dave

 

[maximus]

Thats great that you got to take so many kids up. I am very grateful of the young Eagles Program its where my Aviation journey began 10 years ago with Bill Coons. In a Ercoupe! lol

Maximus

 

[gibbons]

I am very grateful of the young Eagles Program its where my Aviation journey began 10 years ago with Bill Coons. In a Ercoupe! lol

Maximus

Thanks for the post. It's nice to hear that the YE program results in young people who become pilots. It's hard not to wonder sometimes if we're just giving rides or if we're really changing lives.

Chip

 

[Diana]

Thanks for the post. It's nice to hear that the YE program results in young people who become pilots. It's hard not to wonder sometimes if we're just giving rides or if we're really changing lives.

Chip

I know of at least two that I took who later went on to become pilots and A&P's.

Sometimes we change their lives in more subtle ways. I know that the kids we have been taking at the school have been reading more books so that they can go flying, even if they have flown with us for 2 years previously. They even tell me while we are flying that they are going to read the books next year so they can fly again. Or they are going to have their little brother/sister read them so they can go flying too.