WALL —Monmouth County saw 39 new young aviators take their first flight during the Young Eagles Flight Rally over the weekend. Hosted by Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 315 of the North Jersey Shore, 39 boys and girls from 8 to 17 years old got to take a unique airplane ride at the event, held on June 8 at Monmouth Jet Center.
Created in 1992, the EAA Young Eagles Program is intended to incite interest in aviation among youth. In the past 27 years, EAA pilots have taken over 2 million kids, from over 90 countries, on flights. Since 2004, Chapter 315 has flown more than 640 kids at local airports in Monmouth, Lakewood, and Old Bridge.
The annual event is free to participants. The pilots volunteer their time to take participants on a flight and teach them all they want to know about the airplanes. The young aviation enthusiasts learned what makes an airplane fly, what it takes to get a pilot’s license, and what career possibilities exist in the world of aviation. They even got a chance to see a WWII L-2 spotter airplane, educational displays from the New Jersey Aviation Education Council, and more.
After the flight, each participant received a logbook and a certificate making him or her an official Young Eagle. Their names will then be entered into the “World’s Largest Logbook,” which is on permanent display at the EAA Air Adventure Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
For more information on EAA or the Young Eagles Program, visit eaa.org or youngeagles.org. Follow the local Chapter 315 page at facebook.com/EAAChapter315.
