FAIRMONT, W.Va. — The Experimental Aviation Association, along with the Young Eagles program, gave Marion County children a ride they will never forget. About 150 kids got to ride in small groups inside a small, general aviation plane.
The Young Eagles program was designed to introduce children to STEM through aviation. Volunteers took the time to explain to each group how the plane operated and what needed to be done before taking off. After that, they went on a quick, 15 minute ride before coming back to the ground. Learning aside, the excitement from the children as they got to ride in the airplane.
“A lot of them are very, very nervous when they’re approaching the airplane because they don’t know what to expect. A lot of them, it is their first time flying, period…Take them for that 15 minutes, they get back, and they are ecstatic. They wanna go again right away,” said Richard Judy, who helped organize the event.
Most of the pilots and instructors that talked to the children were volunteers with the EAA. Their hope was that some of the kids would find the same passion for aviation as many of the volunteers did when they were their age.
https://www.wboy.com/news/marion/fairmont-municipal-airport-gives-children-a-ride-of-a-lifetime/