Fly Free a gateway for kids to explore the skies
Xavier, Jason and Sophia were three of many to take their first plane ride on Saturday, Sept. 6, at the Fly Free event in Prairie du Chien. Pilot Nathan Eick took them on their ride along the Mississippi River. Kids that took their first ride received their first flight log, which the pilots signed off on, and a certificate. (Steve Van Kooten/Courier Press)
By Steve Van Kooten
The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) held its third Fly Free event at the Prairie du Chien Municipal Airport this past Saturday morning.
Pilots affiliated with the Waterloo, Iowa, chapter provided free flights from the airport, tracing the Mississippi River to the Clayton area and back with dozens of kids between the ages of 8 and 17. Many of them were flying for the first time.
"It gets youth interested in aviation. It gets youth out to the airport to see that it's not an off-limits place; it's open and welcoming to youth anytime," said Todd Berry, Prairie du Chien Municipal Airport Manager.
The Fly Free is one of several events the airport hosts throughout the year geared toward aviation education and flight experiences. Throughout the morning, while families piled into the parking lot and visited the registration table, volunteers piloted the aircraft, worked as the ground crew, and completed paperwork to ensure kids could zip through the clear, blue sky at 1,400 feet.
"I just love getting kids excited about aviation. I remember that feeling as a kid, and I love the opportunity to get kids in the air," said Scott Anderson, an EAA volunteer from the Waterloo chapter.
Most of the volunteers contribute to these events because they remember getting into an airplane for the first time or seeing gigantic airliners crossing the sky but didn’t have the a way to explore their interest.
"When I was young, I didn't have mentors; I had to do it all on my own. I can vividly remember in third grade during recess, I had a constant stream of 727s flying above us," said Berry. "But I always wish there would've been somebody there to help me and mentor me."
Anderson, who didn't get to ride in an airplane until he was 22 years old, said even if kids take a flight and decide flying isn't something they want to do for a career or even as a hobby, the event is an opportunity for children to explore a possible interest. "The point with this event is to have fun and give kids a new experience."
Seth Arevalo, a member of the Civil Air Patrol's Wyalusing Composite Squadron, said events like the Fly Free give kids an opportunity to try flying they might not have had otherwise.
"This event last year got me into the Civil Air Patrol. I've been interested in flying for years, and I heard about this event, and I thought, 'Might as well do it,'" he said.
In the past year, Arevalo's interest in flying has taken flight (pardon the pun): he's joined the CAP, begun studying aeronautics, and plans to take flying lessons in the future. Eventually, his goal is to fly in the private sector.
Jenny Stollenwerk, a senior member of the Wyalusing Composite Squadron, added that cadets can open many professional pathways by coming to these events and seeing what community groups like CAP can offer.
"It's important to have kids at events because they're able to meet and engage with people in the community," she said. "It's a way for them to gain more experience, learn leadership skills."
