November 19th ,2016 was not a good day for the young eagles rally. There really wasn't any way that one could have known. Several small things piled up to make November 19th unsuitable. Hunting season, almost all of the boy scouts being at camp, and thanksgiving break, all molehills. One at a time they could be ignored, but when combined it meant that our target audience, the kids, were all busy, Meaning us pilots had nothing to do. Then we remembered "Hey wait a minute, We're pilots. We all love talking, especially if it has wings!"
Soon after we got to talkin' , our first young eagle arrived. He was a teenager that had been at the last few chapter functions and was dedicated to learning to fly. I had previously told him how great "Sporty's learn to fly" was as a groundschool program, and that it was free to young eagles. My dad flew him as the day's first young eagle.
An hour in, and all we had to show for it was 1 flown young eagle. Two more trickled in,
a couple of little girls eager to fly. They sat side by side in one of the four Cessnas.
Just when we were ready to wrap up, eleven kids cam rushing in. "Are we late?" they might have thought. Yes, yes they were late, and yes it was windy, and bumpy. All we had to do was ask. "Do y'all like rollercoasters?" as we stared at the windsock, its tail extended.
As the day progressed, the wind increased. But our brave Young Eagles toughed it out, and we flew all 14 of them.
We even had a professional photographer, WP.
All in all this young eagles rally, though windy, was a smashing success! With our 6 aircraft, and 14 flown young eagles, we put on quite a good show. My only regret is that by the time everyone as flown it was too windy for me to fly, and certainly too cold for the challenger. Thank you EAA Chapter 276 of Raymond MS!!!
It's events such as these that make me wish I could do more to help than just flightline duty. By the time I'm 18 though, I will be up there flying kids. I will fly them in a plane I know like a sibling, because I built it. Thank you to everyone who has supported me in my project! I deeply appreciate it.
Paul Shadwick
Stan Whitfield
Paul Duff
Paul Hockin
Gordon Fern
Anon Anon
Mike Davis
Jonathan and Julia Wolfe
Jon Palmstrom
Laurie Burns
Donna Mickel
Dana Baker
WP
Michael Couillard
(flying)