the kids     the planes     the people

        EAA Chapter 1279 and Friends of Fallbrook Community Airpark put on another successful Young Eagles rally on Saturday, May 20th, which was Armed Forces Day. The two groups have collaborated for several years to give children the opportunity to experience the fun of aviation from the front seat of a plane like a Lancair or Piper. All the pilots had their own individual first-flight experiences, and they've enjoyed being part of the kids' first flight in turn. This rally in particular was the latest in the ongoing effort by Don Evans, his group of volunteers, and all who pitched-in to make the kids' experience special.
        Unforeseen events always come up in the production of these rallies, and this one saw its share of them. As close as a week before, there weren't enough kids to even stage the rally. Not all them could come from HMLA-367, so Don sent a note out asking for help in filling all the slots. We ended up with a record 48 Young Eagles. And, at the last minute on Saturday morning, overcast caused late first takeoffs.
        The first kids and their parents arrived on time, though, and they had much to explore and experience. Individuals from both FFCAP and 1279 made an extra effort to provide displays that would tell the kids and their parents what the Young EaglesProgram and the EAA are all about. The Civil Air Patrol were back with their '172 on display, putting kids in the cockpit. And next to the Civil Air Patrol, Tom Aberle showed his custom racing biplane, Phantom, with its new, higher-performance four-bladed prop. Member Bob Lindner had his instructor hat on again, taking the kids through a 'mini' ground school.
        For several hours after the first takeoff, the kids were shuttled with their pilots back and forth between the staging area and the aircraft. Volunteer groundcrew stayed busy using radios and hand signals to safely and comfortably coordinate the movement of the aircraft on the ground. And then there were the flights. Unlike most other Chapters, 1279 and FFCAP choose to limit the number of passengers per Young Eagle flight to just one. The pilot and their "copilot" interact more closely this way, and hopefully the children benefit because of it. Saturday, to a person, the pilots and all the volunteers tried to provide the best experience possible. In return (sic), the children came back from their flights having had a unique experience they could get only through Young Eagles.
        A final highlight of the rally was Bo Donovan, commentator/voice of the PGA's Buick Open. He's not a member of either 1279 or FFCAP, yet he lent his talent to make the parents' experience special. Using his PA system, he announced each of the takeoffs and arrivals with names of both pilots and "copilots". He also played the pilots' radio communications as they announced their positions relative to each other. As a bonus, some of the pilots got into the game, adding their "copilot's" name in their transmissions. Having Bo at his mike made the rally that much more fun and interesting for everyone involved.
        Well, that's all for this Young Eagles rally. If you came out to the Airpark on Saturday, we're glad you did. If you're curious about the next one, 1279 and FFCAP will be staging their next rally in September. Bye!

some past rallies