This Is What The Program Is All About

By Special ANN Contributor Daniel Combs

(Note: It's one thing to write a story about an invaluable program like the EAA's Young Eagles. It's another thing entirely to read what it's like from the young person's perspective. ANN Editor Pete Combs' 13-year old son had a chance to fly with the fine folks at EAA Chapter 565 over the weekend, obtaining his Young Eagle's certificate and having a great time in the process. Here's his report. --ed)

If you've ever been in a plane, especially a small one, you would know that when you fly, you're pretty far up there. At EAA Chapter 565, I got my first chance in a long while to fly in a small plane.

What we did was basically go to the EAA building at the Charlotte County Regional Airport Saturday morning. They fly kids on the second Saturday of every month. Once we got there my father, Pete Combs, signed me up for the Young Eagle's program. This is a non-profit organization that allows kids experience what its like to fly in the front and see everything differently than one would in a large plane. They get to fly in the cockpit. And sometimes they get to fly the plane. I got to fly an RV-8. Of course I only got to fly it once it was in the air. Only the pilot is allowed to take off and land. Once in the air I was told to steer the plane. I was so excited that I almost passed out. 

I even got to fly it myself at one point. It was so much fun. At first the plane was kind of shaky, but I wasn't worried. We went to about 1500 feet and flew around Punta Gorda. Being up in the air like that is exhilarating. You get a sense of pure freedom. I loved flying with the EAA because it was something that I had wanted to do for a very long time.

When I was flying the plane I was scared at first. But after a while I learned that it was really pretty easy. Left is left, right is right, but the confusing part was that forward is down and back is up. If you are an experienced video gamer, though, its kind of easy after awhile. I got to fly along a shoreline and see all the boats. I felt so free. It was like I was a bird. I loved it!

(It was pretty cool for Dad, too. Aside, perhaps from being the Young Eagle -- or the pilot who introduces him to the sky -- there's nothing that compares to watching your child's face as he deplanes from his first flight. -- Dad, aka the Editor)

FMI: www.youngeagles.org