This drone view shows planes and pilots from Enid participating in the Young Eagles Introductory Flight Event held Saturday at the Alva Regional Airport.
Daxter Courson admires this slight aircraft, one of eight from Enid that gave rides to youth in the Young Eagles event at Alva Regional Airport.
It took three tries. The event was canceled twice due to weather, but the Young Eagles introductory flight finally took place Saturday, May 18, in Alva.
Eight airplanes and pilots landed around 8:15 a.m. to give youngsters a taste of flying in a small private plane with Alva Regional Airport hosting the event. Airport Manager Derrick Courson said about 30 kids, ages 8-17, registered. The terminal lobby was filled with kids and family members waiting for the opportunity to go aloft.
The morning began with coffee and donuts while the Enid Chapter EAA pilots sorted through the registration forms and paired the kids with their pilots. Courson said, "You could see the nervous excitement in some of the kids, and some kids were just excited. The faces and reactions when they exited the plane were priceless."
The morning of adventure was topped off with a hot dog lunch. Courson said, "The intention of this event is to strike an aviation interest in the younger generation as the industry is growing rapidly and in need of pilots. I cannot express enough gratitude for the Enid Chapter pilots for donating their time to give the kids such awesome memories. We will definitely host another event next spring."
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