EAA, SWRFI Provide Texas-Sized Flying Fun For Boy Scouts

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Tue, 27 Mar '07

Nearly 600 Scouts Receive Young Eagles Flights

They say everything is bigger in Texas... and the Experimental
Aircraft Association tells ANN that applies to Young Eagles events,
too.

Volunteer EAA pilots -- including several from EAA's Southwest
Regional Fly-In (Texas Fly-In) -- provided nearly 600 Boy Scouts with
Young Eagle flights during the third annual Hondo Aviation Day and EAA
Young Eagles Aviation Merit Badge weekend on Saturday, March 17. The
combination campout/aviation merit badge weekend was held at SWRFI's
home field, Hondo Municipal Airport... and brought participating
scouts one step closer to becoming Eagle Scouts.

EAA Chapter 35 Young Eagle Coordinator Brad Doppelt organized the
Young Eagle flights, allowing a total of 591 scouts to receive flights
in 26 airplanes. More than 906 scouts attended the program, along with
help from about 100 volunteers.

The scouts rotated among five different stations throughout the day,
including four aviation class sessions for the merit badge
requirements. Sessions included Aircraft Technology, taught by John
Siemens, chief test pilot at Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corp.; Aviation
History, taught by retired Brig. Gen. Julius Braun, USAF; Models and
Wind Tunnels, taught by NASA's Elaine Stephens; and Static Aircraft
Orientation, Maj. Roch LaRocca, USAF.

Aircraft on static display at the event included a Sino-Swearingen
SJ30 bizjet, a Rans S-18 Stinger, and a Van's RV-9.

"Our third annual Hondo Aviation Day was a great success because we
surrounded ourselves with great support," said event Chairman John
Latour of EAA Chapter 35. "We put together so many good people in key
positions, you can't miss."