Young Eagles Take Flight at St. Charles County Smartt Field

By Carmelo Turdo

Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 32 held their June Young Eagles Rally Saturday at St. Charles County Airport Smartt Field. Chapter pilots flew 52 youth aged 8-17 in general aviation aircraft throughout the morning and into the early afternoon. Between flights, some of the young visitors and their families viewed the informative displays inside the chapter's hangar while others attended an Aviation Merit Badge workshop. Some chapter members build their own aircraft, and they are always ready to give advice and assistance to others looking to join the local experimental aviation community. 

Young Eagles were flown in a variety of aircraft. Here we feature a sample of the Young Eagle flights as they staged outside of the EAA Chapter 32 hangar.

Among EAA Chapter 32's Young Eagle pilots flying on Saturday was Jeff Stephenson, who recently surpassed the 500 Young Eagles mark (projected to be 540 by the end of the day). We salute him for being an inspiration to a new generation of general aviation pilots and aviation industry professionals. He told The Aero Experience that the Cessna 172 he flew preceded him in flying Young Eagles, and that there may have been several thousand flown in that aircraft over the decades. Here we show him flying two family members on Saturday.

The Aero Experience thanks EAA Chapter 32 for their service to our community at their Smartt Field home location and at other Young Eagle rallies around the St. Louis area. They were also part of the Youth Aviation Day event the previous weekend.