Young Eagles fly with local pilots
Berl Tiskus
On the ground or in the air, airplanes remain fascinating to Ryan Kendall.
Berl Tiskus
Dylan Wisniewski, Ethan McCauley and Sean Murphree enjoy their day at the Polson Airport.
Berl Tiskus
Matthew, Reed and Riley Harbin show mom Heather and little sister Mercy their flight certificates after their Young Eagles flight.
Berl Tiskus
Pilot Nels Jensen was one of several local pilots who donated time to spark youngsters' interest in aviation.
Berl Tiskus
Pilot Nels Jensen takes off from Polson Airport with three boys. Saturday was windy and made flying a little choppy, but the Young Eagles loved it.
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POLSON — “We went over the (Kerr) dam. We saw Flathead Lake and Wildhorse Island,” Dylan Wisniewski, 10, Ethan McCauley, 9, and Sean Murphree said, all contributing and nodding.
“Oh, Pablo Reservoir, too,” they added when prompted by Ethan’s mother.
The three boys were talking about a free Young Eagles flight at Polson Airport hosted by the Lake County Chapter 1122 of the Experimental Aircraft Association on June 8.
Pilots Chuck Jarecki, Mike Hines, Nels Jensen and Trey Moran took turns flying their planes loaded with youngsters. Ron Normandeau ran the ground school while Penny Jarecki and Barbara Morin registered flyers.
The Young Eagles Flights began at 9 a.m. By 10:30 a.m., 25 kids had turned up to fly, including Reed, Riley and Matthew Harbin.
All three boys were so excited, Heather Harbin said, laughing. “They said, ‘Mom, you have to get out of bed. We’re gonna be late.’”
Little sister Mercy was not old enough to fly since children need to be between the ages of 8 and 17 and secure their parents’ permission.
“We’ve had quite a number of ‘repeat offenders,’” said Mauri Morin, president of the EAA chapter, with a chuckle.
That’s okay, since the program is designed to spark youngsters’ interest in learning to fly. As they get older, kids can become junior EAA members, take Sporty’s Learn to Fly course and even qualify for scholarships.
