Boys and girls ages 8-17 will once again have an opportunity to experience an airplane ride today, October 22, as Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 315 of the North Jersey Shore hosts a Young Eagles Flight Rally at Lakewood Airport, 1900 Cedarbridge Avenue in Lakewood. The EAA Young Eagles Program was created in 1992 to interest young people in aviation. This is the 25th anniversary of the program. Since then volunteer EAA pilots have flown more than 2 million young people who reside in more than 90 countries. Since 2004 Chapter 315 has flown nearly 500 young people at local airports: Monmouth, Lakewood, and Old Bridge.

The New Jersey Aviation Education Council will also be holding Aviation Day in the hangar with displays and learning stations to further promote flying as a hobby or possible career choice.

There is no charge for Young Eagle flights. Pilots taking part in the event are all volunteers and will be happy to explain more about the different airplanes involved. They will also demonstrate how pilots ensure that safety is the prime concern before every flight. The young people will learn what makes an airplane fly, what it takes to get a pilot’s license, and what career possibilities exist in the world of aviation. Even if the young people never pursue a pilot’s license, the EAA hopes to create friends of aviation.

Following the flight, each young person will receive a logbook and a certificate making him or her an official Young Eagle. Their names will then be entered into the “World’s Largest Logbook,” which is on permanent display at the EAA Air Adventure Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The Logbook is also accessible on the Internet at www.youngeagles.org.

Those attending the flight rally on October 22 are asked to come to the airport office starting at 12:30 to register for their flight. A parent or guardian who can sign a required parental permission form at that time must accompany students. Flights will begin at 1:00 PM, with registration closing at 4:00 PM.

Additional information about EAA and the EAA Young Eagles program is available on the Internet. Access to EAA’s Home Page is available at www.eaa.org. The Young Eagles web page is www.youngeagles.org.