Aviation Education for Kids

On 1/3/2004 2:07 PM after considerable forethought, Chuck wrote:

I have a 9 yr old son that is interested in aviation. He says that he wants
to become a pilot!
SNIP

My daughter expressed an interest when she was 10 and I got her a couple
of lessons. I think she logged a total of 9 hours over a summer and
spent a lot of time helping out at the FBO. I finished my PPL that same
summer and was able to keep her in an airplane and being my "co-pilot".
I kept her involved from the preflight, to changing frequencies, and
finding ground references. We flew to air museums, airshows, and just
some good ole father/daughter "$100 hamburger runs". She started doing
vfr flight planning and loved the charts, and the tsd calculations. I
helped steer her decision making process for science fairs and such for
aviation type projects. This with a few scattered lessons over the
years, and she set the goal of soloing on her 16th. Mission
accomplished and now she's finishing up her training to take her check
ride on her 17th birthday. I think an important key if for you to stay
involved even if you don't hold a PPL. Share what you know from the
A&P side and help him relate it to his flying. I personally checked
into the Young Eagles but didn't have much luck at my local airport so
had to be creative to keep providing new activities that would keep her
interest up when she couldn't fly as much as she wanted, not to mention
what my pocketbook could handle.

Good luck!

Steve P