Young Eagles to fly this Sunday

Sonoma Skypark Airport Chapter 1268 of the Experimental Aircraft Association has been giving free airplane rides to young Sonoma Valley residents ages 8 through 17 since the early 1990s. Every second Sunday of the month, EAA Chapter 1268 based at Sonoma Skypark Airport offers free airplane rides to youngsters through its Young Eagles program.

The flights are offered by volunteer pilots who belong to the Experimental Aircraft Association, an international aviation nonprofit organization based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with chapters located in all 50 states and internationally around the world.

There is no cost to the young people or the families, but the Young Eagle will need a parent or guardian with them to sign the permission slip. Registration starts at 9:30 a.m. and the rides are given from then until 11:30 a.m. There is a short ground school offered before the ride by one of Chapter 1268’s volunteers. The next Young Eagle Day will be this Sunday, May 8.

The Young Eagles program was created to introduce more young people to the joy and wonder of flying, with the hope that some Young Eagles will go on to become pilots and fly for fun or as a career.

Sonoma Skypark is located at 21870 Eighth St. E. For more information about the Young Eagles and other programs offered to the community, visit sonomaskypark.com.