LEESBURG — Lake County kids wanting to learn how to build and repair real home-built experimental airplanes now can take advantage of a free program.
The Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 534 based at the Leesburg International Airport has embarked on a chapter youth program to teach young people the technical aspects of building and repairing experimental general aviation aircraft.
This program is open to both boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 18 years old. There is no charge for this program and it is mentored by Chapter 534 volunteers, who have experience with experimental aircraft building and are certified airframe and power plant aircraft mechanics.
The EAA Chapter 534 Aviation Youth Group meets at the EAA hangar from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays with lunch served by the chapter members. Kids will learn the proper use of tools and safety procedures before working on airplane projects.
This program will be spiced up by enrolling each youth member in the EAA Young Eagles program so they will get to fly periodically in a single-engine general aviation aircraft.
The idea behind the youth program is to introduce young people to aviation by both working on real airplanes and getting to fly. This is done with the hope that this experience will cause some of them to ultimately seek out aviation careers or become pilots later on.
EAA Chapter 534 is looking for kids who already have some interest in aviation and want to explore this itch a little further. To find out more about the EAA Chapter Aviation Youth Program, contact John Weber at ransfly@aol.com. For information about EAA Chapter 534 or the Young Eagles Program, go to www.eaachapter534.org, www.eaa.org or www.youngeagles.org/join.