Imagine their surprise when, shortly
after returning home, they received
a letter thanking them for agreeing
to become a Young Eagles field
representative in Virginia. In view of
the positive aspects of the program,
they decided to see where this would
lead. More than 20 years later, the
Judds are among a select few who
have taken over 1,000 kids airborne on
Young Eagles flights.
The Young Eagles program
was conceived by members of the
Experimental Aircraft Association.
From humble beginnings and a handful
of members, the EAAhas evolved into a
worldwide organization that celebrates
home-built, vintage, and military
aircraft, while embracing all aspects of
aviation. Their annual Oshkosh Fly-In
attracts some 800,000 attendees, and
some 12,000 aircraft.
Small wonder then, that the
leadership overwhelmingly decided
that they needed a mission of sorts,
related to aviation. A member poll
returned astonishing results: Some 92
percent of the approximately 40,000
members responded, most of whom
indicated their desire to focus on
the nation’s youth, and try to instill
an interest in aviation in as many as
possible.
After some discussion, they agreed
that most youngsters would probably
jump at the chance to get a ride in a
small airplane. So they envisioned a
program in which members would
offer free airplane rides to children.
When one businessman pointed out
that any successful program needs to
achieve a goal, the ambitious group
decided to attempt to give these rides to
at least a million kids before the 100th
anniversary of the first flight at Kitty
Hawk, or December 17th, 2003.
Few imagined that they would ever
attain this lofty plateau, but they did,
about a month ahead of the deadline.
About 44,000 pilots combined their
efforts and their aircraft to make it
happen.
Young Eagles made its inaugural
flight on July 31 1992, with actor Cliff
Robertson behind the stick. Robertson
was the program’s first chairman. He
was succeeded by legendary aviator
Chuck Yeager, who served for 12 years,
followed by other such luminaries as
actor Harrison Ford, who gave over
300 Young Eagles their first flight, and
in 2009, Captain “Sully” Sullenberger,
the hero who safely ditched his
passenger plane into the Hudson River
after a bird strike.
As the program evolved, pilots
realized that giving a kid an airplane
ride and then not following up on it
was akin to giving someone a bite
of cake at a party and then ushering
them to the door. They began to
flesh out the experience, by offering
them information and instruction,
explaining how an airplane flies, and
opening the door for them to learn
and discover on their own. Each child
receives a certificate signed by the
pilot and the Young Eagles chairman,
and also receives other premiums to
commemorate the experience.
The Judds also started following
up with their Young Eagles, sending
them a letter of congratulations, and
encouraging them to learn more about
aviation. In later years, the program
has been issuing pilot’s log books to
those in their teens, each with a unique
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