Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog devoted to developing aviation-related programs to follow the EAA Young Eagles initiative.  The Young Eagles program (www.youngeagles.org) was created by the Experimental Aviation Association (www.eaa.org) to foster interest in aviation among young people age 8 to 17.  It's a fabulous introduction to general aviation and recreational flying that's flown almost 1.5 million young people including my two teenage sons.  The challenge for me, the EAA, and aviation in general is how to provide follow-on activities that maintain the seed of interest in aviation planted or fostered in these young people through their participation in the Young Eagles program.  The EAA in partnership with Sporty's Pilot Shop (http://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/) have created a gateway into flight training by offering a logbook and access to an online flight training/ground school portal.  This is a huge step forward and a real credit to the people at EAA and especially Sporty's for their commitment to young people interested in aviation.  But there should be more we can do to provide active, hands-on experiences that really bring the world of general aviation to life.  Principles of flight, aircraft design and construction, flight planning and navigation, and the airspace all around us our topics that can be explored in ways that engage, challenge, and educate young people.  It's my hope that this blog can become a resource for others seeking to extend the Young Eagles program.  Let's get started!