Jamail Larkins Is On The Go

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Careers in Aviation Inc. are revisiting aviation's early days by sponsoring the National DreamLaunch Tour -- a barnstorming tour "with a difference."

In 1926, not long after the Wright brothers' first flight, John Paul Riddle, one of the school's founders, was giving aerial joyrides in Jennys and Wacos to drum up business for his fledgling flying business in Cincinnati (OH).

In January 2004, Jamail Larkins, a 20-year-old aviation business student at Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach (FL) campus, updated that tradition with an 18-city national tour piloting a new Cirrus SR20 aircraft. His mission: get youngsters in middle schools and high schools along the way thinking about careers in aviation.

The successful spring tour gained Larkins a television appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman" on May 20, and he'll be featured in the Oct. 31 issue of Parade magazine.

The Fall 2004 DreamLaunch Tour began Sept. 10, with Larkins planning to visit 15 to 20 major US cities. So far this fall, he has made presentations in Winston/Salem (NC), Minneapolis (MN), Prescott (AZ) and Seattle (WA).

Upcoming stops on Larkins' national tour of middle schools and high schools include:

• 10/22 Research Triangle (NC)
• 10/29 Albany (GA)    
• 11/05 Daytona Beach (FL)
• 11/12 Houston (TX)
• 11/15 Dallas (TX)
• 11/19 Fairfax County (VA)
• 12/03 Phoenix (AZ)
• 12/10 Las Vegas (NV)
• TBD Atlanta (GA)
• TBD Long Island (NY)
• TBD San Diego (CA)
• TBD St. Paul (MN)
• TBD Washington (DC)

Embry-Riddle's partner in the tour is Careers in Aviation, an organization that seeks to raise young people's awareness about opportunities in aviation. Sponsors are Aeroshell, AirShares Elite, Cirrus, Cox Communications, Lift, and Michelin.

"We're very happy to join with Embry-Riddle in bringing this educational opportunity to young people across America," said Shawn Raker, president of Careers in Aviation. "It's a perfect way to spread the news about the many exciting careers in aviation and that the industry needs talented young people."

Every Thursday, Larkins flies the Cirrus to a different city, where he visits schools, makes presentations, and discusses aviation with students.

Students in some schools included on Larkins' tour are invited beforehand to write an essay answering the question, "How do you envision the next century of flight?" Judging takes place before each school visit. Winning essayists are given the opportunity to fly with Larkins in the Cirrus the following Saturday.

At the DreamLaunch website, students ages 13-20 can enter the Ride of a Lifetime contest. With parental consent, the winner will be awarded two round-trip tickets from anywhere in the United States to Daytona Beach, hotel accommodations, two tickets to the 2005 Embry-Riddle Air Show, and a flight with Larkins in his aerobatic plane.

Larkins, who is the national spokesman for Careers in Aviation, puts students who want to learn more about aviation in touch with a Careers in Aviation representative or an EAA Young Eagles coordinator in their area.

Larkins started flying at the age of 12. Two years later, the Augusta (GA) native became one of the youngest certified pilots in the United States when he soloed a powered aircraft in Canada. He completed his US solo shortly after his 16th birthday in a Cirrus SR20. He currently flies a high-performance Christen Eagle II aerobatic aircraft on the airshow circuit.

FMI: www.erau.edu/dreamlaunch, www.careersinaviation.org