Best Bets: Take to the skies with the Young Eagles program this weekend

Published 8:37 am Thursday, June 8, 2017

The Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 386 will sponsor the annual Young Eagles program at the Austin Municipal Airport from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Kids will get the opportunity to learn about planes during a free flight.

“For a lot of kids, it’s there first time in an airplane,” said Mike Bibus, Young Eagles coordinator for EAA Chapter 386. “It’s something they’ll remember for their lifetime.”

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According to Bibus, the EAA Young Eagles program has flown over two million children nationwide since its inception in 1992.

Bibus said there will be three or four small planes flying at Saturday’s event. Each flight will last between 10 and 15 minutes.

Before each flight, kids will be guided through the safety measures.

During the flight, the pilot will talk to the kids about how the controls on the panel work. Bibus said that the child sitting next to the pilot will get the opportunity to momentarily fly the plane.

“Some kids are really in tune to flying,” he said.

Kids who participate will get a flight logbook, a brochure that shows a diagram of a plane and a certificate.

Saturday’s EAA Young Eagles program is free. Flights are for ages 8 to 17 years old.

All children must be accompanied to the airport by a parent or guardian and may not fly without their parent or guardian’s permission.

Registration for the event begins at 9:30 a.m. and flights begin at 10 a.m. Bibus said that there might be a lot of participants, so he asked participants to be patient.

“People should come out to experience something which they would not normally get to experience,” he said, “To fly in a smaller plane you see more, you fly lower, the seating room is bigger and it is more versatile. It’s an enjoyable thing for most people.”

For more information, call 507-433-1813 or visit www.eaa.org/en/eaa/aviation-education-and-resources/eaa-youth-education/eaa-young-eagles-program.

Weekend at a glance

See the full calendar at www.austindailyherald.com/community-calendar/

June 9

•English Tea, 1 to 2 p.m. at the Mower County Senior Center. Contact Teresa to reserve your table. Cost for members is $6, for non-members $7. To sign up, stop by the senior center or call 507-433-2370.

•Cartoons Unlimited, 2 to 3 p.m. at the Austin ArtWorks Center. Each week students will learn to draw new things in an easy step-by-step process that still allows for personal creativity. All class supplies will be provided by the instructor.  For ages 7 and up, $80 per student. For more information, call 507-434-0934.

•Chateau Raceway Points Night, 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the Chateau Raceway in Lansing. Hot laps at 6:30 p.m., race follows. Call 507-272-8906.

•Adams Dairy Days, in Adams. For more information, call 507-582-3601.

•All Stars 14U AAA/AA Baseball Tournament, at the Riverland Baseball Complex. Free admission. For more information, email Brian Lillis at lillisb51@hotmail.com.

•Atlantis Swim Federation Swim Meet, at the Austin City Pool. For more information, call 507-433-1881.

June 10

•Young Eagles – Kids Fly Free, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Austin Municipal Airport. For more information, see above or call 507-433-1813.

•Atlantis Swim Federation Swim Meet, at the Austin City Pool. For more information, call 507-433-1881.

•Adams Dairy Days, in Adams. For more information, call 507-582-3601.

June 11

•Spamtown Belle Rides, 1 to 5 p.m. at East Side Lake. Come take a ride on the Spamtown Belle paddleboat. Rides last about 25 minutes. Freewill donation appreciated (suggested $2 for adults and $1 for children).

•Atlantis Swim Federation Swim Meet, at the Austin City Pool. For more information, call 507-433-1881.

•Adams Dairy Days, in Adams. For more information, call 507-582-3601.