Blueskies wrote:
Do you fly Young Eagles also?


Not yet. There is a group at my airport that does this, as well as a Big
Brother and Big Sister Airlift thing.

At my airport there is an airside deck with plastic chairs. People are
afraid to try to enter the building (flying school) let alone go on to
the deck and sit down. I find them at the parking lot fence by the
ramp.I have put a few fathers and sons on that deck. They get to sit
down, sip a soda and have a much better view of things.

We take so much of aviation for granted so easily. Especially the little
things like just getting up close to an airplane. And yes at some
airports it has resulted in inquires about sight seeing and discovery
flights. Not my intention though.

Such as one airport (SW Ontario area) an operator said to me, "Oh I
didn't know they were waiting for you." (Wife and I actually just were
going into town for lunch and shopping that day.) Well it seems obvious
if somebody is watching planes for the fun of it, and you are in the
business, what are you doing leaving them at the fence? That day, Ethan
and his family really were waiting for us.

The mother and son I mentioned; when my wife asked if he wanted to climb
up and sit in front he replied, "No, I don't think you should be walking
on the wings of an airplne." (Seneca) So she briefed him on how to get
in and to stay on the black wing walk. When he got in and looked aft he
exclaimed, "Wow, there's a back!"

As a safety note, my plane, like many, is festooned with static wicks.
Approaching the beast, I point them out, and urge the parents to keep
the children away from them for obvious reasons.

When you put the son in the front of the plane, watch dad. He looks very
happy but sometimes, a wee bit envious.....