Young Eagles program gives youngsters exposure to flying

By BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

Kids in Mt. Pleasant were flying high this weekend - in airplanes, that is.

On Saturday, the Young Eagles program, in conjunction with the Mt. Pleasant Kiwanis Club and Exploring Aviation out of Burlington, hosted the annual Fly-In at the Mt. Pleasant Municipal Airport.

This fun and educational experience gave children ages eight to 17 a unique opportunity to fly in an airplane with a trained pilot, and it?s all done without parents.

Steve Gray, a member of the Mt. Pleasant Kiwanis Club, said this event is meant to not only be a fun opportunity for kids, but to also spark interest in something that most kids don?t get to explore.

?The reason we decided to get involved in this is because everything that Kiwanis does is youth oriented. We thought this would be something good to do as aviation seemed to be something that not many kids know a lot about,? Gray said.

After seeing the positive response from kids in past years, the Kiwanis Club has decided to continue with the program another year.

?For some kids, this is their second or third time coming to this. For others, it is their first time flying at all,? said Gray. ?It is our goal to get young kids exposed to aviation in the hopes that it would plant a seed and that they would continue on with it. So far, it has seemed to do that.?

Upon arriving to the airport, kids are instructed to sign in and are paired up with a member of Exploring Aviation. Children are then led out to the airstrip where they get to meet the pilot that will be flying them.

Pilots are given time to explain the basics of flying, where the kids will be flying to and the standard parts to an airplane. Kids are free to ask questions before they wave one last goodbye to parents prior to taking off. Flights typically last 15 minutes.

Kelsey French, a 12-year-old from Mt. Pleasant, was one of many kids that took to the sky this weekend. According to French?s grandfather, she was very excited to participate.

?She has been up since five o?clock this morning because she was so excited for this,? he said. ?She had a lot of fun.?

After completion of a flight, kids get an official certificate signed by the pilot they flew with. Kids are also entered into a log book that participants and their families can access online. There, an official record can be accessed that states the child has completed a successful flight with the Exploring Aviation program.

The Mt. Pleasant Kiwanis Club wishes to continue this free event for years to come. They credit the event?s success to the generosity of the Exploring Aviation program and the Mt. Pleasant Municipal Airport as well as the families that allow their children to attend and learn about aviation.

?Hopefully the kids that like it spread the word and come back next year,? said Gray. ?It?s wonderful to see the kids that enjoy it come jumping off the plane and are wanting to go again. That?s what it?s all about.?

For more information on the Young Eagles program or the Exploring Aviation program, contact the Southeast Iowa Regional Airport at 319-745-1414.