Young Eagles Workshop Recap

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006
By Karen Reich

The 2006 Young Eagle Leader’s Workshop was held at the Nature Center Pavilion on Wednesday, July 26, 2006. Adam Smith, Museum Director and Vice President of Education Outreach, kicked off this year’s workshop by welcoming the volunteers and thanking them for another year of dedication. Steve Buss, Young Eagles Executive Director, followed by introducing a few notable guests and this year’s award recipients. Nine breakout sessions, stressing different ideas and strategies for more effective Young Eagles rallies, followed.

Alpha: Ted Kirkpatrick, EAA Chapter 850
Making Young Eagles events more fun and informative for children and simply run for volunteers was the key to Ted’s presentation. Generally Young Eagles events consist of an airplane ride for each child. Ted suggests creating a day full of activities for the children including things such as an air traffic control tower tour or a lesson on avionics or mechanics.

To make things run more smoothly, Chapter 850 has created simple badges for each of their pilots and ground volunteers. These are affixed to lanyards, which have become so popular that Ted has a hard time getting them back! This helps everyone know whom he or she is talking to and what their role is at the event. He also suggests having the Young Eagles certificates prepared before each flight occurs so the pilots have children’s names, can call them out of the crowd and also present the certificate upon landing.

Ted’s Chapter has also been using unique games to help children recognize some of the challenges faced by pilots. One of these activities simulates the relationship between pilots and air traffic controllers. Children begin by driving a remote controlled car in a rectangular pattern. They then get a partner and the two stand back to back. The child with the remote faces away from the car, acting as the pilot. The other performs the duties of an air traffic controller, giving directions while watching the car. Children who have excelled in games such as this and have a real interest in aviation are chosen by the Chapter to be sent to the EAA Air Academy.

The Chapter has also created their own one-day academy.

Bravo: Larry and Maxine Durst, EAA Chapter 495
Years ago Larry and Maxine came to the agreement that he would fly any amount of Young Eagles that she could find for him. Maxine ran with the idea, creating a flyer that she now sends to schools for children to take home to their parents informing them about the Young Eagles program. The parents can then contact her directly if they are interested. It is not run as a school event, she merely uses the schools as a venue to reach the Young Eagles.

Scheduling for the weekend generally begins on Tuesdays and Maxine calls to remind the children the day before they fly. Nearly every weekend the two are at the airport with some eager youngsters ready for what is often their first flight in an airplane. They also always try to fill the plane to get as many children in for a flight as possible.

Maxine’s form, click here!

Charlie: Fran Uliano, EAA Chapter 27
EAA Chapter 27 generally has 8-10 planes flying at a typical Young Eagles rally. Fran’s goal is to take each child on a one-on-one flight. Each Young Eagle gets about 45 minutes of time with their pilot including time spent on the ground and in the air. He also has a policy of “no parents allowed.” He wants full attention on the pilot and the maneuvers of the plane without the possible distraction of others. While making Young Eagles events a lot of fun for the children, Fran also recognizes the need make children aware of the proper behavior for an airport.

To get the word out about his Chapter’s events, Fran suggests hanging and handing out posters. He also talks in schools as much as possible. Fran keeps volunteering out of his love for the children. “The thank yous make me want to keep going,” he said. One of these thank yous came in the form of a picture he keeps hanging on his wall. It’s a drawing of Fran standing next to his plane that was sent to him by one of his Young Eagles.

Delta: John Jenista, EAA Chapter 670

The Ulster Project is a program John Jenista had never heard of before receiving a phone call one day inquiring about the Young Eagles program back in 2001. The Ulster Project is dedicated to promoting peace between Roman Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland by building tolerance, trust and ongoing positive relationships between young people in these Christian traditions. Teens from Ireland are paired with teens in the United States whom they will stay with for one month. During their visit they meet for daily activities, take part in community service projects, worship and more.

One of the activities the kids now take part in each year, is the Young Eagles program. The students are in agreement that the best day of the 30 that they spend in the U.S. is the day they go for their Young Eagles flight. This however doesn’t come as simply as it may seem. There is a lot of preparation involved. Registration forms must be sent to Ireland months in advance so that there is time to educate the parents about the Young Eagles program and allow communication to take place where there is possible concern.

Chapter 670 also works with the Vintage Flying Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. They leave Young Eagles pamphlets for youngsters who may be want to fly. He suggests a partnership like this to other chapters because the interest in flight is generally already there.

Echo: Michelle Kunes, Young Eagles Program Administrator
Throughout the course of a year, Michelle Kunes receives thousands of E-mails and phone calls from Young Eagles coordinators and volunteers around the globe. There are some key points and suggestions that she shared with the group at the workshop that answer some frequently asked questions.

To fly at an EAA Young Eagles event, you must be an EAA (or COPA) member, but you do not need a Pilot ID number in order to conduct the flights. Pilot ID numbers are assigned after a pilot has registered their first Young Eagle.

If you fly more than one Young Eagle in a day, you can fill out the first registration form completely and then staple subsequent forms behind it with the pilot's name and Pilot ID.

Be sure that your Chapter is using the newest version of Young Eagles registration forms. Discard any old forms and request new ones.

When sending E-mails to Michelle, sign each one with your name, EAA number, and address. This eliminates any confusion and saves a lot of time. When ordering Young Eagles supplies please go to the Web site (http://www.youngeagles.org/), click on “Volunteers” and then use the Online Order form.

Young Eagles who are flown more than one time will be credited to the pilot. She suggests that you have the young person looking for another flight bring a friend who has not previously participate. Always let the repeat fliers know that the first-time participants will be flown first.

Foxtrot: Larry Dorgan, EAA Chapter 75

Larry gave tips on how to run the most effective Young Eagles event possible based on the experiences of EAA Chapter 75. Letting the ground coordinator and flight leader "run the show" works the best, he said. His Chapter tries to assign one crewmember to each plane to keep things simple.

They generally have three events a year and often partner with a group called the Quad Cities Wannabee Program, which is similar to the Young Eagles program but geared toward adults. By doing this, they maximize the number of people coming to the airport, generating more interest. Partnerships within the aviation community have proven worthwhile for all involved.

Golf: Joel Godston, EAA Chapter 740
Safety, safety, safety. Joel's presentation was centered on safe and fun events. At EAA Chapter 740’s Young Eagles events, there are generally about 70 volunteers. These volunteers follow guidelines, which they can read about in advance or consult during the event in a packet that has been prepared. The headings in this packet are Registration Table, Entrance/Dispatch Table, Exit/Certificate Table, Pilot’s Briefing, Young Eagle Control and Ramp Safety, and Auto Parking and Safety. It is a useful guide stressing key points to keeping the event organized and running smoothly. There is also a summary of the most recent event detailing strengths and weaknesses to better prepare for the next one.

Chapter 740 makes sure to get radio and newspaper publicity prior to the events to receive maximum exposure of the Young Eagles message to the public. They also hold school briefings in the area to get the word out to the Young Eagles. In order to raise money, they have food, photos of the Young Eagles with their pilots and other items for sale.

Here’s Joel’s Rally Planner.

Hotel: George Steed and Dr. Lee Siudzinski
George Steed provided information about EAA AeroScholars, a program set up to provide online aviation courses for high school students. There are two courses. The first is Fundamentals of Aviation Science, which is recommended for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The second course, which can be taken after successful completion of the first course, is Advanced Aviation Science. High school and college credit can be received for these courses. Two college credits can be earned for the first course and three for the second. If both of these courses are completed, the student is then prepared to take the FAA Private Pilot written exam. In the last two semesters, 350 students have taken part in the program. Sixty of them have taken the exam and all have passed.

The courses are offered in spring, summer, and fall sessions and there is 17 weeks of online lesson material, though the courses are self-paced. There is also live interaction with trained support staff and instructors available. Nine hours a day, five days a week, questions can be answered online. Through this program students can receive a virtual tour of the EAA AirVenture Museum. It will also motivate students to participate in the Young Eagles program and to attend EAA Chapter meetings.

India: Embry Riddle, Jason Kopcsak

The idea behind Jason Kopcsak’s presentation was involvement. He said that allowing the children to have an interactive experience with the airplane would help them more readily enjoy and remember what they are learning. An example of this would be having the children check the oil while doing the walk around/preflight inspection.

One concern that he has encountered on numerous occasions is parents being concerned about the fact that the planes are “experimental.” He said it’s a good idea to take a few minutes to explain the regulations that the airplane must coincide with and go through what the Young Eagles flight will entail.

For the children, they try to explain as much as they can about flight without getting too technical. Examples of good topics would be the four forces of flight, angle of attack and an explanation about airsickness – causes, symptoms and corrective actions.

Steve Buss then introduced EAA Young Eagles Chairman, Harrison Ford, who discussed what keeps him dedicated to the program. He spoke about taking children from the inner city for a flight recently and how intriguing it is for many of them who have never been in an airplane and are able to see their environment from the air for the first time. It is inspiring to these children that people who they view as very different from themselves are paying so much attention to them and giving them this exciting opportunity.

Ford then presented awards to the 2006 award winners before meeting outside for a group photo. Lunch was served followed by a short period for questions. Some volunteers then stuck around to chat and share stories and ideas about Young Eagles events. Another successful year!

If you are interested in ordering Young Eagles nametags for your Chapter’s pilots and volunteers, please contact Oshkosh Personalizing at 920-235-4261.

Ted Kirkpatrick

Larry and Maxine Durst

Fran Uliano

John Jenista

Michelle Kunes

Larry Dorgan

Joel Godston

George Steed

Jason Kopcsak

Other Resources

EAA Young Eagles Rally Planner
EAA Chapter 850 Academy
Durst's Recruitment Flyer
Joel Godston's Rally Planner
Ulster Project
EAA AeroScholars