By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
A longtime program designed to educate youth about aviation and teach STEM activities will offer flights this weekend at Rosecrans Memorial Airport.
The Young Eagles program will offer flights to kids between eight and 17 years old, to show off the planes, and maybe get some kids interested in aviation.
Volunteer Pilot with Young Eagles Lute Atieh says on the day pilots will take kids up in the air for what he likes to call a ‘lap around the block’
“We take off from the airport, we head east out to Riverside and then we, well depending on what direction the wind is we turn north or south, and we come back towards the airport and land,” Atieh tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “It’s a great experience, I’ve seen several kids come back year after year.”
Atieh says nationwide Young Eagles, whose sole mission is to introduce and inspire kids in the world of aviation. has given 2.5 million flights to kids
“If you think about that and the impact it has, I mean these kids between the ages of eight and 17 by the time they’re in their late 20’s or early 30’s, some of them are potentially flying commercial aircraft,” Atieh explains. “So, it’s just a really great experience, not just flying but also producing aviation mechanics and other aviation related careers, but there’s just no other program like it.”
Atieh says locally he’s seen kids that have gone through the program later in their lives in flight training, becoming pilots, or in other aviation fields as well.
Atieh says not only will kids on the day learn about flight, but they will even be able to learn more at home
“Every person that flies gets access to this online portal that gives you sort of free ground school as part of this experience,” Atieh says. “So, you can go on the internet, watch a ton of videos, and learn more about flight.”
Atieh says on the day pilots take about 50 to 70 kids up into the air, depending on how many pilots are available, but sadly sometimes to not get to everyone that comes.
The flights will be offered tomorrow from 8am to 12pm at Rosecrans.
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