[00:00:01]
AND KINDA SHOW YOU WHAT'S GOING ON.SO THE SPEED GOES UP AS WE GO.
SLOWER, THERE'S LESS PRESSURE.
THE RUNWAY AT THE GRAND PRAIRIE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT ON A BEAUTIFUL SATURDAY MORNING WAS THE PERFECT PLACE TO BE FOR DOZENS OF NORTH TEXAS YOUNG PEOPLE EAGER TO LEARN HOW TO FLY.
THEY'RE CALLED THE YOUNG EAGLES 65 ASPIRING AVIATORS, READY TO LEARN WHAT IT TAKES TO BE ABLE TO GET IN THE COCKPIT AND TAKE TO THE SKIES.
THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF SOME PROFESSIONAL PILOTS FROM THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION NOW IN ITS FOURTH DECADE, THE NATIONWIDE PROGRAM TEACHES KIDS AND TEENAGERS FROM EIGHT TO 17 ABOUT SOME OF THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN AVIATION.
AND ON THIS DAY, WITH THE COOPERATION OF AIRPORT STAFF AND THE 12 PILOTS WHO VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME, KNOWLEDGE, AND AIRPLANES, THESE YOUNG EAGLES ALSO GOT THE RARE CHANCE TO NOT ONLY FLY WITH THEM, BUT ALSO TO TAKE THE WHEEL.
MAYBE WHAT? A THOUSAND FEET IN THE AIR.
REALLY? SO WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? IT'S COOL.
I WANT YOU TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN.
JUST NICE BEING OFF THE GROUND.
YOU HAVE TO SEE LIKE HOW THE WORLD LOOKS FROM LIKE ABOVE.
SO YOU THINK YOU WANNA BE A PILOT SOMEDAY? YEAH, AND THAT IS THE PROGRAM'S MISSION TO INSPIRE A NEW GENERATION OF PILOTS FOR AN INDUSTRY THAT SERIOUSLY NEEDS THEM.
IN THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY, WE'RE STILL SHORT PILOTS FOR STILL HIRING AS FAST AS WE CAN.
WE STILL HAVE TO GET THE INTEREST.
WE NEED TO START 'EM FROM OUR, OUR FARM TEAMS. AND THIS IS KIND OF THE FARM TEAM.
WE GET KIDS INTERESTED, WE TELL 'EM THE BASICS OF AVIATION, THE AERODYNAMICS, WE GIVE 'EM AN ORIENTATION RIDE, THEY GET TO FLY THE PLANE AND HOPEFULLY THAT SPARKS A LITTLE, UH, LIGHT IN THEM AND THEY WANT TO GO AFTER IT.
IN THE FUTURE, THERE IS A SHORTAGE, BUT I DO IT MORE FOR THE PASSION.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I GET THEM STARTED SOON.
THE ONES THAT ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT, ABOUT FLYING, GET THEM, UM, GOING AT THE VERY BEGINNING.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OTHER KIDS GET THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES THAT I'VE HAD OR SIMILAR OPPORTUNITIES AND THEY GET TO FEEL THAT ELATION, THAT WONDERFUL FEELING AND FREEDOM OF FLIGHT.
ALMOST, ALMOST A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE YOUNG EAGLES PROGRAM OR THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION, PLEASE VISIT THEIR WEBSITE@EAA.ORG.