Pilots to offer free flights for young people

Individuals ages 8-17 are invited to take to the skies at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter No. 315 Young Eagles Flight Rally set to begin at 10 a.m. Sept. 8 at Monmouth Executive Airport, Route 34 south, Farmingdale. Guests should enter the airport at the main entrance at the traffic light on Route 34 and follow the white arrows to the building with the blue awning. Rain date is Sept. 9.

Volunteer pilots will be on hand to explain how airplanes fly and how to ensure that safety is the primary consideration before each flight.

Interested young people will be able to take an orientation flight at no charge. Following the free flight, participants will receive a certificate making them official Young Eagles Flight members. The youngsters’ names will then be entered into the “World’s Largest Logbook,” which is on permanent display at the EAA Air Adventure Museum, Oshkosh, Wis.

Registration will begin at 10 a.m. and close at 1 p.m. Flights will begin soon after registration opens. All flights are free of charge and voluntary on the part of the pilots involved.

A registration form signed by a parent or guardian is required. In the event that a parent or guardian cannot be present at the event, forms are available in advance.

Only young people ages 8-17 may participate. Parents and other visitors may be accommodated with a flight if time and the number of available pilots permit.

For more information, a registration form, directions to the airport, or to inquire about the status of the rally in case of inclement weather, call Frank Fine at 848-469-0604.

The rally is part of the EAA Aviation Education Foundation’s Young Eagles program designed to inform youth about general aviation and recreational flying. The original goal was to provide 1 million young people with an airplane ride by the end of 2003, the 100th anniversary of powered flight and the 50th anniversary of the EAA. The goal was achieved, and the program was so successful that it has been continued. More than 1.3 million youngsters have taken a Young Eagles flight.

Volunteer EAA members also conduct Young Eagles flights individually. Interested young people who are unable to attend the Sept. 8 rally may visit www.eaa.org or call Frank Fine for additional information.