Young Eagles to offer free flights to Libby youth
Flyers One
Chapter 102 of The Experimental Aircraft Association will be visiting Libby for the first time to give free plane rides to youth, ages eight to 17 who are interested in aviation.
The only pre-flight requirement for a free plane ride is registration paperwork that must be signed by a legal parent or guardian at the event.
The young participants will receive a ground introduction to the basic realm of flight and a brief introduction to how the plane flies. After receiving the crash-course, the kids have the opportunity to take a short sight-seeing tour that will last 15 to 20 minutes. Upon completing the full event, the participants will receive a certificate and a log book in memory of their flying adventure.
As the program aims to help youngsters expand their aviation education, the participants will also receive a code to access an online flight school for three months. Parents will also receive the perfect photo opportunity, as the kids will pose with the pilot and the plane before the event is completed
Delbert Schneider, Young Eagles Coordinator for chapter 102 in Kalispell, said the members of the program decided to come to Libby because they received requests from Libby youngsters who made a trip to Kalispell for a previous event.
“Hopefully it should be a good experience for the kids and we have adequate planes with good weather,” Schneider said. “I would like to see this event create more interest in the youth, and even maybe some interest in local pilots to help out in the future.”
Schneider has been a pilot for 56 years and a member of the Experimental Aviation Association for 10. After retiring, he took on the program as the former coordinator wanted out of the program.
“The enjoyment of watching youngsters being introduced to flying for the first time, including my Grandsons has been one of my greatest successes in this program,” Schneider said.
The Young Eagles program was launched in 1992 to give young people the opportunity to fly in a general aviation airplane. The program has since provided more that 1.8 million flights worldwide and helped many young people pursue their careers in aviation.
The program claims to provide a set of valuable resources and enriching learning opportunities that can give children the necessary information to follow their dreams of aviation.
Ry Keller, president of the Young Eagles chapter 102, regularly attends the flight events hosted in Northwest Montana. He said the events usually attract anywhere from 50 to 75 kids and 99 percent of them have a great time.
“These kids get the opportunity that some of us never had,” Keller said. “They have the chance to make the connections and receive the help in pursuit of their future goals and that is what makes this event worthwhile.”
The event will take place at the Libby General Aviation Airport on August 2, at 8 a.m. All pilots are highly experienced and the planes are certified for safety under the annual aviation inspection.