EAA Getting Kids Interested in Aviation at Young Eagles Day

ST. CLOUD -- The Experimental Aircraft Association's local chapter is holding an event Saturday to get young kids interested in flight, and have some fun at the same time.

They'll be out at St. Cloud Regional Airport holding their 5th Young Eagles Day. The event provides free plane rides for kids ages 8-17. Parents or guardians will have to sign a consent form The event runs from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Joey Schimnich is the Young Eagles Coordinator for EAA Chapter 511. He says they'll have a variety of small planes there for kids to ride in. So despite the "experimental" in the group's name, the planes on the runway will be normal, certified aircraft.

"Probably a two-seat airplane, with a pilot and kid all the way up to some six-seat airplanes, with a pilot and four or five kids."

Schimnich says they'll see anywhere from 60 to over 100 kids on a good weather day.

He says the pilots give a lot so that kids can learn and have fun during the event.

"These are pilots donating their time, gas, their airplanes to fly these kids. We're there for the kids, and for information about the aviation community in general."

The Young Eagles Program was originally founded in 1992. They've flown over two-million "young eagles" in that time.