On September 28 the San Marcos Chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) hosted a Young Eagles event for local high school students interested in aviation at the San Marcos Regional Airport. Eighteen students participated in the event which included a 30-minute discovery flight in an aircraft flown by an experienced EAA member. Students also practiced their flying skills on two state-of-the art Redbird flight simulators provided by Redbird Flight Simulations of Austin.
The event took place at the Commemorative Air Force hangar which has a museum and aircraft on display. Students had an opportunity to tour the museum and see the historic aircraft including the famous “That’s All Brother”, the Douglas C47 which lead the Normandy invasion on D-Day in 1944.
Launched in 1992, the Young Eagles program has dedicated more than 25 years to giving youth ages 8–17 their first free ride in an airplane. It’s the only program of its kind, with the sole mission to introduce and inspire kids in the world of aviation.
Today, more than 2 million young people have enjoyed a free introductory flight through the Young Eagles program. These flights are made possible through the generosity of EAA member volunteers.
The San Marcos EAA Chapter, Chapter 958, meets every third Saturday at the San Marcos Regional Airport. For more information about the chapter and the next Young Eagles event, contact Young Eagles Coordinators Matt Naylor ([email protected]) or Dave Falleur ([email protected]). For more information about the EAA go to www.eaa.org/eaa.