EAA Chapter 54 Young Eagles Program

Dave Becker, our Young Eagles director, coordinates potential riders with various pilots throughout the year. All rides are scheduled at Lake Elmo Airport. Boys and girls from 8 through 17 are eligible. To date, EAA Chapter 54 has given over 3000 Young Eagle Rides. Members of EAA Chapter 54 will be available to give Young Eagle Rides the second Saturday of the month (May through October) between 9:00 AM and 10:00 AM. Enter Gate B at Lake Elmo airport. Click for a Map to Lake Elmo Airport

The Young Eagles program is intended to give kids their first airplane ride with a one on one experience with the pilot and introduce them to aviation in a positive way. For further flights, please contact a flight school or the Civil Air Patrol. Our program is intended for one free flight only. We do not have the resources to give multiple fights to children. .

Of course, the weather will have to co-operate on these designated Saturdays. Rain, very low clouds, or strong winds will cause flying for the day to be cancelled.

Have a Question?

Click the Button above to send an email to our Young Eagles Director with special requests, questions, or comments from new Young Eagles about their flight.

Reserve your flight

Sign-up by email to tell us how many kids are coming. To sign-up, click here or the button above. On the day of the flight, come to the Chapter clubhouse at Lake Elmo Airport at 9 AM. Enter at Gate B.
Young Eagles must either:
1. Be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to complete a consent form.
2. Or be accompanied by an adult and have a consent form which has previously been filled out by a parent or legal guardian.
No child can fly without a properly completed registration/consent form.  If the weather is bad, we will not fly Young Eagles and you will need to sign up again for another date.

The Young Eagles Mission

The original mission of the EAA Aviation Foundation's Young Eagles Program  was to provide a meaningful flight experience for 1 million young people between the ages of 8 and 17 by the year 2003, which was the 100th anniversary of the Wright brother's first powered flight, and also the 50th anniversary of the EAA.  This mission was accomplished and the Young Eagle program has now flown over 1.3 million youngsters.

Young Eagles Objectives

The global Young Eagles Program hopes to achieve a number of objectives:

• Provide young people with an opportunity to gain new perspectives on their community, their lives and the world in which they live
• Raise awareness of aviation career possibilities
• Help young people understand the knowledge necessary to become a pilot
• Respond to concerns that the nation's pool of pilots is growing smaller because of fewer new pilot starts, and the number of pilots who are growing older--a situation that could cause a shortage of military and commercial pilots by the year 2000

Already a Young Eagle?

If you are already a Young Eagle and want to know what's next, visit the EAA National Young Eagle web site. You can also contact Chapter 54 for information on a new program called the Young Aviators Club. Our program is intended to give only one free airplane ride to a child. Check out our Young Eagles Photo Album and see if you can find your picture.

Young Eagles Recognition

Each Young Eagle participant receives an official Eagle Flight Certificate, signed by the pilot, following their flight experience. The name of each participant is then entered into the "World's Largest Logbook," which is on permanent display at the EAA Air Adventure Museum in Oshkosh, Wis. and can be searched on line at EAA - World's Largest Logbook.