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Wheeling, Ill. – December 12, 2005 – Thursday, October 20, 2005 was a special day for 23 students from Jacqueline Vaughn Occupational High School in Chicago, Illinois. They went on a field trip to Hangar 10 at Palwaukee Municipal Airport in Wheeling, Illinois where they spent several hours becoming EAA Young Eagles. This was the third annual excursion for the Vaughn students, with hopes of many more to come.
Challenge Air, which joined with the EAA Young Eagles program for this event, offers motivational, inspirational, and life-changing experiences to physically challenged youth through aviation. Many of the students, all of who are mild to cognitively disabled, had never flown before.
The students were selected on the basis of essays they wrote; most of them expressed the wish to fly “because I have never been on a plane”. After his flight, one boy said, “It was awesome to see things from the sky” while another commented, “I never saw the world from a plane before.”
Eight Young Eagles pilots from Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin gathered to give the rides. The variety of planes included a C-195, Aztec, Mooney 20F, and a Piper 140 painted in the original Tuskegee Airmen markings. As each pilot flew only one or two at a time, most of the students were able to fly “right seat” to enjoy the experience even more.
FAA volunteers manned a craft table (where students could make mini pumpkin spiders), as well as a “space and aviation” table for the students to visit while waiting for their rides. There was also a display from the FBI and a model airplane display. Tuskegee Airman Bev Dunjill answered questions and told students about the Tuskegee Airmen. Students, pilots, and volunteers were all treated to a delicious box lunch, featuring slices of Eli’s Cheesecake.
Nancy Mayer, Principal of Vaughn H.S. wrote, “The Young Eagles organization is to be complimented for their commitment to educating young students about aviation.”
Seeing the kids’ smiles and excitement was the best compliment the pilots and ground volunteers could receive!
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