Young Eagles Soar at Clay County's Haller Airpark
Local Veteran Pilots Take 72 Kids For Their First Flight
On a recent autumn Sunday—cloudless and perfect for flying—ten very experienced pilots and members of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 1379 methodically launched and recovered their unique aircraft with the assistance of 30 volunteers. Briefings, take-offs and landings were so well orchestrated that it reminded me of being back on the deck of an aircraft carrier.
Instead of ferrying ordnance, these pilots were carrying youngsters between the ages of 8-17 up into the sky for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, and for many of these kids it was their first introduction and experience of powered flight as part of the EAA Young Eagles Flight Program.
The place was Haller Airpark, a fly-in community off Highway 17, south of Green Cove Springs. Haller has a 2,400-foot grass airstrip that runs up the middle of the neighborhood.
The Young Eagles Flight Program launched in 1992 and their sole mission, according to their website, is to introduce and inspire youngsters with the world of aviation. Since its inception 31 years ago, more than 2.3 million kids have enjoyed free introductory flights made possible by the generosity of EAA member volunteers.
Two young teenagers getting their free introductory flight were Ahmerrius Spikes and Emmett Rodney, both freshmen at St Augustine High School.
Excited about the opportunity for a 20 minute experience of a lifetime, Ahmerrius had his mother drive he and Emmett the hour plus from Southeast St. Johns County. When they arrived at Haller Airpark, they were greeted by the friendly EAA volunteers.
They helped the young boys complete the required paperwork for their flight, gave them a brief presentation about Young Eagles and an orientation and pre-flight of one of the aircraft. This was followed by free hamburgers, hot dogs and sodas, while the soon to be pilots anxiously waited for their names to be called and planes assigned.
Ahmerrius was paired with Pat Lee, a 73-year-old former Navy A-7 pilot and retired DC-9 airline Captain with more than 25,000 hours of military and civilian flying time. Sitting in the open cockpit of Pat’s Vans RV-7 airplane waiting taxi clearance, Ahmerrius’s beamed a smile as wide as the St Johns River. Pat’s grin was almost as wide. And then off they went.
When Ahmerrius got back, he was asked about his flight.“The best part was the takeoff and just getting to fly in a real acrobatic stunt plane,” he said. His mom was probably thinking that the best part was the safe landing.
By the time the flying was over for the day, Pat Lee personally accounted for flying 10 of the 72 kids. For Pat, a 1972 graduate of the Naval Academy and an old Navy fighter/attack pilot who hand built the RV-7 he was flying, it was another weekend opportunity to share his love of aviation with the next generation.
Emmett and Gorden launched in his RV-6A right after Ahmerrius and Pat took off. Thirty minutes later when he was safely back on solid ground, Emmett was asked what he thought about his flight. He said the best part of the flight was when he got to take the controls and fly over the St John’s River, later adding that the experience was, “a good start to my plan of going into the field of aerospace … and flying is on the list of things I want to do.”
Gorden is a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer who spent most of his active duty time as a flight engineer. Following the Navy he joined NASA and worked at the Kennedy Space Center where he was a Space Shuttle Program Site test conductor, better known as the guy in charge of the place where the big rocket is about to go off. Gorden has more than 40 years of flying experience and numerous aviation qualifications and licenses.
Gorden flew nine kids that day. Of course, he and Pat were not alone in donating their time, their personal aircraft and paying for the fuel.
The other eight pilots were: Paul Barreto who flew three kids in his RV-8A, Paul Jaffray who flew two in his Cessna 150, Frank Lorenz who flew four in his Piper Cub, Joe Tierney who flew six in his RV-7, Peter Trimble who flew six in his Grumman AA1A, Dan Vallencourt who flew 18 in his Cessna T206H, Don Yoakley who flew seven in his Glassier 3, and Jeff Abrams who flew seven kids in his Robinson R-22 helicopter.
Most of these men are residents at Haller Airpark, members of Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 1379 and veterans of flying Young Eagles. When you talk to them and all the volunteers, you immediately detect each have a real love for aviation and you can easily sense an appreciable excitement each has to share that thrill of flying with others.
Young Eagles is not just an introductory flying program. They also offer flight training and post-secondary education scholarships. If you have a child between the ages of 8 to 17 years of age and are interested in learning more about the Young Eagles program, visit their website at EAA Young Eagles Flight Program.
The next Young Eagles event in the local area is Saturday, Nov. 18 at Spruce Creek Airport in Daytona Beach. You can find more about this event at Young Eagles Day Registration Site.
If you are interested in information about becoming a volunteer or pilot with Young Eagles you can visit their website Young Eagles Volunteer Program.
At the end of the day, even though there were tired pilots and volunteers, everyone involved could see that their mission was accomplished as there were now six dozen kids who knew what it was like to soar like an eagle in the sky. Each future aviator got a certificate, a personal logbook that documented their flight, and a picture of them in the aircraft with their pilot to prove that they had gone where only eagles dare.
