ST. GEORGE — The Wasatch Front chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association will be winging its way to the General Dick Stout Field in Hurricane on Saturday, March 26 to give kids ages 8 to 18 an opportunity to fly in a general aviation aircraft.
Pilots from chapter 23 will be offering airplane rides, free of charge, to youth from age 8 through age 17, from 8 a.m.- noon, weather allowing. Pre-registration is required for flight time slots as well as parental permissions for all Young Eagle riders. Pre-registration can be done by going to https://YoungEaglesDay.org and searching by zip code to find all locally hosted events throughout the flying season. Young Eagles flights typically last about 20 minutes from takeoff to landing.
“Chapter pilots are all highly-trained and highly-respected community aviators, many of whom have built, or are building, their own aircraft. Young Eagles Day rides are given in general aviation aircraft ranging from classic Piper Cubs, to modern Cessna, Piper, and even high-performance Vans aircraft,” said Kurt Johnson, the Young Eagles coordinator for chapter 23.
“We really look forward to coming to the Hurricane airport and enjoying the warmer weather,” Bruce Johnson, the vice-president of chapter 23, said. “When we’ve come before, it’s always been a treat. We hope to see a lot of kids there from throughout Washington County who are excited to enjoy an airplane ride and get a bird’s eye view of their home area.”
EAA chapter 23 was formed in 1956, not long after the formation of the EAA itself. When the Young Eagles program was launched in 1992, the pilots of chapter 23 immediately and enthusiastically began setting up Young Eagles Day rallies across the Wasatch Front area to give youth the thrilling opportunity of flight with experienced pilots who fly their own aircraft at their own cost. To date, chapter 23 has provided more than 11,000 Young Eagle rides.
Since its inception, more than 2,200,000 young people have enjoyed a free flight through Young Eagles rallies worldwide. As the only program of its kind, all flights are made possible through the generosity of EAA member volunteer pilots.
“We really love doing this. There is nothing like seeing the excitement on a kid’s face the first time they take-off from a runway,” said pilot and chapter 23 president, Max Cloward. “It’s like they suddenly see their future possibilities in a whole new way.”
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