“It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s … adolescents flying a plane!” The airport buzzed loudly on Friday, September 12, and Saturday, September 13, not only with the buzz of engines but the sounds of hundreds of young people, their families, and community members as laughter and excitement filled the air.
Enthusiasm took off as Bristow Public School students arrived on Friday, climbing throughout the day as the youngest students arrived. Around 100 BPS’ Pre-K students flew into the airport with unmatched energy in celebration of “’A’ is for Airport”. Most of those students experienced their first ever encounter with the facility and airplanes, learn- ing about and interacting with Airport Manager Vicki Roth and local pilot, certified flight instructor, and aviation enthusiast Lou Malinchak. Students were allowed to touch and explore the aircraft, creating memories and building interest in aviation. Roth noted that this year marked the fifth year that Bristow Jones Memorial Airport has hosted the “’A’ is for Airport” event.
Later in the day, the airport hosted some of BPS’ instructor Vicki Wilson’s students as well. Wilson’s “Physics of Flight” students, who are mostly freshmen, made the trip to the airport with the assignments of identifying basic plane parts and learning terminology and primary control surfaces. Wilson noted that the airport visit and up-close interaction with the small airplanes was a first for most of her students—just as it had been for the youngsters earlier in the day.
Although enthusiasm climbed throughout the day on Friday, it ultimately soared to the highest of heights on Saturday, as both the airport and EAA Chapter 1709 hosted their second Young Eagles program, YE, rally. The contagious nature of the rallies and interest in aviation proved evident in the numbers of YE participants alone as the number of participants flying throughout the second rally nearly doubled that of the first.
In fact, Roth stated that some Young Eagles participants drove from as far as Edmond and Mustang to learn and fly with Bristow’s YE program. At least one of their parents, Maggie Davis of Mustang, hopped aboard social media to describe how the exciting experience is inspiring her son to pursue “a Bachelor of Science in Aviation with a Professional Pilot Concentration in Airplane.”
The EAA’s Young Eagles program allows young people ranging in age from 8-years to 17-years to participate. According to Roth and Malinchak, each YE participant receives a 15-minute flight as well as a logbook and certificate at each rally. Malinchak also noted that without the support of the community in attending chapter fundraisers and making donations, many of these future pilots likely would miss out on the opportunity altogether.
For example, for the rally on September 13, Clint Brian, Roth, and Malinchak flew 36 YE program participants, donating a total of 15 hours of their time. The total time included loading, unloading, reloading, and fueling. Speaking of fuel, those three planes used more than 100 gallons of fuel, flying those future pilots. Every donation and fund raised through chapter fundraisers supports the rallies and aviators of tomorrow.
Throughout the rally, participants and their families chatted amongst themselves as the planes circled in the sky. One boy said “That was awesome!” A young lady proudly proclaimed, “I want to do this every day of my life!” While those experiences of igniting a passion for flight are the goal, the chapter and rally’s success stem from the efforts of many: generous donors and fundraiser attendees, ground control volunteers like the dedicated Warren VanOrsdol, coordinators Wilson and Julie Wilhite, student assistants Westin and Wyatt, Bristow Jones Memorial Airport, and all the young people and families who sign on to explore new passions and learn to fly.
To learn more about the EAA’s Young Eagles program, check out their website: www.eaa.org or reach out to Bristow Jones Memorial Airport Manager Vicki Roth. Above all else, rise above like the adolescents flying in the planes: boldly get involved and invest in our community’s present and future. Reach out, and fly high, Bristow!