Larissa Goes Flying

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to fly, to soar above everything, to look down and see changes occurring right below you?

Up in the air you can see things you never thought possible. You can see the different squares of land going from green to a golden brown back to green in an unknown pattern. You can even see the different colors in the water. How would I know? I was up in the air flying. On Saturday, June 13, the pilots with the Lake County Chapter 1122 of the Experimental Aircraft Association hosted the Young Eagles Flights  at Polson Airport.

Pilots opened their planes and took kids ages 8-17 up in the air for a free flight.

My mom dragged me along with my little brother, but I’m glad she did. The feeling of flying is an over all unexplainable feeling. I was riding shotgun with my brother in the back. The pilot asked me if I wanted to give my brother heart failure, and showed me how to work the wheel. I flew the plane! Sure, it was nothing drastic, nothing like driving a car. The plane flew in a straight line unless I turned the wheel. As you look down from the window you can see all the houses and farms, my brother even claims that he saw some people playing Frisbee. All in all, it was the best experience I’ve had.

The EAA Young Eagles program was launched in 1992 to give interested young people, ages 8 - 17, an opportunity to go flying in a general aviation airplane. These flights are offered free of charge and are made possible through the generosity of EAA member volunteers. Since 1992, more than 1.4 million Young Eagles have enjoyed a flight through the program.

Young Eagles have been registered in more than 90 different countries and have been flown by nearly 40,000 volunteer pilots.

- Reporter Larissa Hanson