Area Youth Take Young Eagle Flights, Look Forward to Future Opportunities In Aviation

By Carmelo Turdo

Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 32 held their August Young Eagles Rally Saturday at St. Charles County Airport - Smartt Field. Chapter pilots flew 55 youth aged 8-17 in general aviation aircraft throughout the morning and into the early afternoon. Between flights, some of the young visitors viewed the informative displays inside the chapter's hangar while others attended an Aviation Merit Badge workshop. Chapter members build and fly their own aircraft and they are always ready to give advice and assistance to others looking to join the local aviation community. Here we include a Zenith CH750 STOL aircraft Explorer building project on display. 

Young Eagles were flown in a variety of aircraft, from a vintage Luscombe to the popular Vans RV series to more conventional Cessna, Piper and Mooney models. Here we feature a sample of the Young Eagle flights as they staged outside of the EAA Chapter 32 hangar.

Six high school students from the St. Louis Science Center's Youth Exploring Science Program's Aerospace Component took their flights in a beautiful Piper Saratoga flown by CFI Dave Brickhaus. During their visit, Jose Lozano, Sr. Educator, YES Media and Communications, was on site to record the experience for a video program. Over the summer, the students had been studying aerospace topics and honing their skills on Redbird Jay flight simulators, so they were well prepared to appreciate the actual flight experience.   

The Aero Experience thanks EAA Chapter 32, the YES Program sponsors and all who made this great youth aviation/STEM event possible!