COPA/EAA Young Eagles Program |
by Lloyd Richards |
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A lucky Young Eagle tries out Wolfgang Weichert's RV-6.
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The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) in partnership with the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) and its many flight chapters across Canada have an initiative to introduce young people to the world of Aviation.
The EAA Aviation Foundation's ambitious new Young Eagles Program has been created to encourage aviation interest among young people. It provides participants with an opportunity to experience the unique exhilaration of flight and to discover the possibilities available in the world of aviation. In Canada, the new partnership fostered with the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association is to further expand the long term goal of introducing young people to the many facets of aviation.
One of the goals of the Young Eagles Program is to offer one million young people between the ages of 8 17 a flight by the year 2003 the 100th anniversary of powered flight and the 50th anniversary of EAA. By giving young people a chance to experience the excitement of an airplane ride and to learn more about the various aspects of flight from a pilot in a one to one setting, the Young Eagles program hopes to create an initial interest in aviation among young people and promote the potential it holds for future interest and activities.
Volunteer pilots from among EAA's members or COPA Flight chapters will host flights on an individual basis or at Young Eagles Flight Rallies scheduled throughout Canada. Parents can bring children to designated airports for a first hand flight experience in those communities which share in the objectives of the Young Eagles Program. EAA and COPA, hope pilots, flying clubs and flying schools throughout Canada will sponsor a sanctioned Young Eagle Program. However, pilots can on an individual basis fly young people provided they meet the Young Eagle Program criteria of their parent flying organization.
More Young Eagle Program information is available from local COPA Flights, COPA Headquarters or from COPA Members under the "Member's Only" section.