BRAMPTON -
The cerulean skies around Brampton and Caledon become more than just pretty sights as young airplane enthusiasts will gain the chance to soar through the clouds for International Young Eagles Day. Fascination becomes exploration for these young people as they experience the wonders of aviation through test flights with professional pilots. “Pilots will be volunteering their time and aircraft and fuel for the purpose of taking kids aged eight to 17 up for an introductory flight,” said Anthony Nalli, Public Relations Coordinator. “The whole purpose of the Young Eagles program is to introduce kids and young adults to aviation in a way that I know myself wasn’t available when I was a kid. For a lot of the kids involved, it’s the first time they’ve ever seen a small airplane, much less flown in one.” The event will take place on June 14 and will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Brampton Flying Club, located on 13691 McLaughlin Rd., just south of King Road. There is no cost to participate. The flights will help kids gain a glimpse of the world of aviation from takeoff to landing while enjoying a view of the city beneath them during the flight. The duration of each flight is anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes. “It’s an absolute thrill for them when you crank in the throttle and you’re rowing down the runway and the ground finally starts to slowly pull away from you, said Nalli. “It’s an absolute amazing thrill. But then that’s actually when the flight begins. There’s climbing and descending and there’s turns that take place and then of course, the ever popular landing.” Airport tours In addition to the flights, participants can also take in airport tours where they can view the planes up close. The World War One Great War Flying Museum will also be open that day, allowing people to see combat fighter planes from the older days of aviation. The Young Eagles program was started in 1992 by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) in the U.S. to give young people the opportunity to experience the world of flying with the help of experienced pilots. Since then, the Young Eagles volunteer pilots have flown over 1.4 million kids in over 90 countries, including Canada. “The kids absolutely love it. It’s an absolute thrill for these folks and some of them go on and take on aviation careers. Some people, as a result of their Young Eagles flights, have joined the air cadets. The air cadets will be at the airport that day as well, so if kids are interested in joining the air cadets any time around their flight, there will certainly be a lot of information on how they can do that,” explained Nalli. “Other kids, particularly the older kids, have gone on to start taking flying lessons.” For more information or to register for the event, visit www.bramfly.com or e-mail youngeagles@bramfly.com.
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