EAA has a long history of engendering the passion for flying amongst its members as well as the youths of the world. EAA is a worldwide organisation with International Young Eagles Day being one of its premier aviation events.
The South African EAA Chapter 322 has followed this lead and through the efforts of Warren Lovell, Marie Reddy, Neil Bowden (Chapter 322 president), and Tyla and Kerry Puzey with a group of young aviators actively spreading the excellent word of aviation in South Africa. To this end, 81 young people from schools in the area, some affluent, some under-privileged, who had not flown before and have an interest in aviation, were invited to attend a Young Eagles Day sponsored and hosted by ExecuJet at the company’s magnificent Lanseria premises. A total of 20 aircraft (19 were used to fly the children) arrived at the ExecuJet facilities as the company went all out to ensure that the day was a success. Special mention must be made of Nigel Townsend (King Air 260) and Clyde Straughan (Cessna Citation Mustang) for their generous contribution of their beautiful aircraft to fly the children.
Aviation is exciting and vital to South Africa’s future and the best way to convey that message is to actually experience flight in a firsthand setting. Each child received a short ground lesson by the pilot on how the aircraft works and then took off for a short flight where they got an opportunity to feel the controls. On completion each child received a Young Eagles certificate to show that he or she has qualified as a Young Eagle. In addition to the flight, the scholars had the opportunity to enjoy an ExecuJet hangar walk looking up-close at aircraft that are rarely seen.
Scholars were required to register in advance with their parents/guardians completing an indemnity in order that they may participate. These documents were checked on registration and each child was then issued with a ‘flight ticket’ in the form of a sticker.
Comments by Karl Jensen, EAA 544322:
“To be part of an EAA Young Eagles event is terrific, but to be able to take part in the International EAA Young Eagles Day on June 8 was a worthy blast.” Karl Jensen has flown many Young Eagles in a variety of airplanes and sees the entire initiative as an important parting of aviation knowledge and planting the seed for every possible avenue in aviation where our Young Eagles are able to involve themselves in as they become adults. “I wish I was able to tell all young people that their ambition should not only be to become a pilot, by possibly telling them that I can remember the day when I was about 6 years old when I was given a balsa hand launch little glider — the type where the wing slid into a slit in the fuselage and the fin and stabiliser similarly were inserted. You could then throw it gently and it would fly like a real airplane.”
Comments by Marie Reddy, EAA 1381591:
“To our EAA members that came along to help and participate where they could, you made the day easier for everyone. Young aviators marshalling and hosting the groups of Young Eagles allowed for an easy communication flow and a more interesting day for all the children. The sponsors ExecuJet’s superb facilities, support staff, and catering (too many people to name but Justin, Lucy, Philip, and Gavin were crucial to our event). Thanks to Levitate for sponsorship of caps as well as Lanseria International Airport and Lanseria’s air traffic control and members from the media who helped us record the event.
I was fortunate enough to fly six Young Eagles with Eugene in an Alouette helicopter ZU-ALO. They were all enjoyable, excited and thankful saying things like ‘Wow, once in a lifetime experience.’ As an organisation, EAA can only hope that we have planted a few seeds that will take root and we will see the signs in the next few years as these young scholars start their aviation careers. Last, but not least, the Young Eagles themselves. We are becoming better at these events and we learn from each one to improve for the next, but the original 50 children grew to 81 in the last few days and these children did their schools/organisations proud.”
By: Charlie Hugo, Karl Jensen, and Marie Reddy
Pictures from Fiona and Charlie Hugo