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Saturday's Internet Edition, 12:04 AM, July 31, 2010.
Young Eagles take flight in Rancho Murieta
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Photo by Sheri Barile
Rancho Murieta pilot Pat Borin and Timothy Aguyen, 11, are all smiles as they prepare to taxi to the runway at RM Airport during the EAA Young Eagles program on July 3.
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By Sheri Barile
River Valley Times Reporter
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Youngsters showed up at Rancho Murieta Airport on July 3 for free orientation flights offered through the Young Eagles program of EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Chapter 1476. Kids and their parents came from as far as Washington and South Lake Tahoe. It was the sixth Young Eagles program held in RM since the local chapter formed in August 2008.
Each Young Eagle soared above area sights such as Rancho Seco, Folsom Dam and Folsom prison during flights of approximately 20 minutes in duration. According to volunteer pilots, it was smooth sailing through area skies.
Participants also got a chance to see a historical World War II plane on exhibit at the airport while waiting their turn to go up.
In addition to the flights, each participant received a flight certificate and a flight logbook from Sporty’s Pilot Shop, which sponsors a free online pilot training course available to all participants.
Young Eagles program coordinator Ted Ryon said participating youth are given the opportunity to take the controls of the planes for a portion of the flight to obtain firsthand experience in turning and changing altitude. “The kids can actually take control of the rudder and stick, but not the throttle,” Ryon said. “They were taught to make left and right turns, climb up and down and fly a straight, level flight.”
One such Young Eagle was eight-year-old Clara Hunt of RM. “I got to turn the plane, and that was really fun,” she said. “It was easier than I thought it would be. I’d like to do it again.”
Hunt’s pilot that day was Steve Raymond of Wilton. He described her as an enthusiastic and very capable young student. “I could envision her becoming a pilot one day,” Raymond said of Hunt. “One of the things that impressed me about her is that she was ready for anything."
Raymond added, "Some kids aren’t all that sure about going up, and some are skittish about taking the controls. Not her. We got airborne, and I asked her if she wanted to fly the plane. She didn’t hesitate.”
Hunt's brother Dempsey, 13, also participated, but he was a little less sure about going up in a small plane than was his sister. He agreed to fly in a twin-engine plane. “It was a great experience and very cool,” he said. “I wanted to go right back up as soon as we landed. The pilot was very nice and did a good job of explaining what to do because it’s different than steering a car. It’s a lot more complicated.”
The Hunt siblings both declared their intentions to return for the next Young Eagles day scheduled for October 2.
The EAA Young Eagles program was launched in 1992 to provide opportunities to interested youth ages 8 – 17 to fly in a general aviation airplane. The flights are offered free of charge and are made possible by EAA member volunteers.
Among the pilot volunteers from RM who participate in the program is UC Davis senior Zachary Bowers. According to his father Bob Bowers, he flew in the Young Eagles program before RM Airport opened its own chapter. He was about 15 at the time. He earned his pilot’s license while still in high school and has joined the coast guard, where he will most likely fly C130 aircraft.
His father said his son was mesmerized by aviation as a youth. “He couldn’t get enough of it,” Bowers said. “And I see the same looks on the faces of kids that fly with him now that he’s a Young Eagle pilot.”
RM pilot Pat Borin sees it as well. “The most amazing thing is I get as much out of it as the kids do,” he said. “Seeing the wonderment in their eyes makes me feel like a first-timer again.”
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