Young Eagles take flight

After what happened last week, I was looking for something to cheer up Nicko.

There was a local newspaper link thrown around Facebook.

Eureka!

I remembered that Nicko's First grade grade teacher,

at Ira Cross Elementary School, was a volunteer pilot.

She use to offer rides to her top 5 achievers

and Nicko was one of the kids who had won that honor.

For some reason we never got around to taking Nicko on that flight.

Nicko is now in the fourth grade and even though we homeschool now,

Mrs. Trudo is one of those awesome teachers that likes to call & say Hi.

and Nicko, who remembers every Teacher he has ever had,

Loves her all the more for remembering him :)

In a flurry we packed up all 4 kiddos and A'Linda 

and headed to the Killeen Skylark airport.

We made it just in time before registration closed.

Turns out Mrs. Trudo was one of the pilots for the days events :)

Nicko was the last one of 40 kids to have registered for a free flight.

You can't see it in this picture but he is bouncing up and down.

(I'm just glad I was able to get a shot without the blur)

He brought this bear that he skillfully won from one of those machines with a claw to give to Mrs. Trudo.

Totally engrossed in the walk around/ flight safety check.

A natural in the cockpit :)

Ready for take off!

Taxing onto to the runway :)

Needless to say this is the first time Nicko smiled in about a week :)

What is Young Eagles?

"The EAA Young Eagles program was launched in 1992 to give interested young people, ages 8 - 17, an opportunity to go flying in a general aviation airplane. These flights are offered free of charge and are made possible through the generosity of EAA member volunteers.

Since 1992, more than 1.6 million Young Eagles have enjoyed a flight through the program. Young Eagles have been registered in more than 90 different countries and have been flown by more than 42,000 volunteer pilots."

~ from website

For more information please go to their awesome website.

For youth programs, scholarships, and other good info 

(such as finding free flights in your area), go to this link.