RACINE — Young pilots are taking off thanks to a free flight program in Racine. EAA Chapter 838 hosts a program called Young Eagles. It offers free flight experiences and basic courses to children ages 8 to 17 who are interested in aviation.
“Our main focus is to do something in the field of aviation to help kids achieve their dream of becoming a pilot or mechanic,” said Ed Becerra, social media manager for EAA Chapter 838.
James Groh
The group’s headquarters are located at the Racine Airport, 3333 N. Green Bay Rd. They host group flights, weekend learning events, seminars and more. They not only want to introduce young people to flying, but also inspire the next generation of mechanics by letting them work on airplanes. And all for free.
“The pilots donate their time, their fuel, their resources and their aircraft to inspire the next generation of aviators,” Becerra said.
The club, which has about 500 members, also awards generous scholarships to deserving members to enable them to pursue further learning opportunities.
See what it looks like to take off from Racine Airport…
The Young Eagles program offers free air travel to inspire the next generation of pilots
“$12,000 per scholarship. I think we gave out about two scholarships this year. And one of them just passed the private pilot’s exam. So it’s working. It’s producing more pilots, and we like to see that,” Becerra said.
Previous members of the group have gone on to become Air Force pilots or commercial pilots. That’s what 12-year-old Jameson Zahn wants to be one day.
“Definitely the Air Force, which flies jets or large cargo planes, and then maybe airlines,” he said.
Thanks to a Young Eagles program in Oshkosh, he became passionate about flying.
James Groh
“I flew around Oshkosh and the pilot even let me do a turn. It was really fun and I was really fascinated,” said Zahn.
On Tuesday, he got to fly with Becerra. They flew from Racine to Kenosha and then up the lakeshore. For Zahn, it’s always an exciting experience when he takes off.
“Just that feeling of taking off, and you’re flying, you’re really up in the air, and that’s awesome to me and I really love it,” Zahn said.
For more information about EAA Chapter 838, visit the website or Facebook page.
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