Village Project takes to the skies
Village Project Coordinator Amy Robertson, Sergio Ramirez, and Iris Mendez.
Courtesy photos Iris Mendez, Sergio Ramirez, Coordinator Village Project Amy Robertson, and Kambiz Kamiab.
Roberto Ramirez, Young Eagles Pilot Ray Rose, and Luis Duarte.
(Courtesy Photo) Luis Duarte and Experimental Aircraft Association President Gene Andrews.
A highlight of the summer program for the Village Project kids came last Friday morning with a trip around Boundary County by air. With two seaters to four seaters, local pilots gave the kids a trip of a lifetime. Kambiz Kamiab, together with fellow pilots Gene Andrews and Ray Rose enjoyed the time they spent with the enthusiastic children. Andrews is President of the Experimental Aircraft Association chapter in Boundary County. The kids buzzed Elk Mountain Farm, where most of them live, followed the path of the Kootenai River as it travels back to Canada, and saw their schools, their town and their forests from an eagle’s perspective. Friday’s field trip day continued with a picnic and swimming at Twin Rivers Canyon, after which some very tired youngsters went home to tell the awesome tale to their friends and families.
These kinds of activities are what make programs like the Village Project critical to the evolution of productive, engaged, intelligent, caring, well-rounded and creative citizens.
Kamiab, the organizer of Friday’s flights said, “It was our pleasure to host the kids, not only to see the wonder and delight on their faces, but to support the field of aviation, which is dear to our hearts. The general aviation community is decreasing in size, so we are trying to grow that in our own small way.”
The morning started with a debriefing, where the kids’ questions were answered. Questions ranged from one about wind currents from Luis Duarte, to Iris Mendez’ wonderings about the safety of flight. Kambiz assured her, using real crash data and information about mechanical inspection requirements that “it is much safer to fly than it is to ride in a car.”
Some of the young people who flew on Friday returned to Northern Air on Saturday, July 28 for the monthly Huckleberry Pancake Breakfast put on by the Experimental Aircraft Association. At these monthly gatherings youngsters get information on how they might join the Young Eagles program based out of Northern Air, and how they might take up one of the exciting aerospace careers open to them. In addition, they meet a group of local flight adventurers and learn about aerospace vocational programs for high school graduates right here in North Idaho.
The Young Eagles program was launched in 1992 to give interested young people ages 8-17 the opportunity to go flying in a general aviation airplane, get free beginning flight instruction, free admission to science and technology museums, a free first flight lesson, access to scholarships, the opportunity to attend Air Academy Camp and more. If you are age-eligible and want to know more, just contact Ray Rose at: 4dove2@gmail.com.
The Village Project began in 2015 to bring fun and educational summer activities to the kids at Elk Mountain Farm who were unable to access the opportunities available in town. It has since grown to include more kids, and is hoping to increase the number of participants even more in the future. Anyone who is interested in finding out about next year’s program for their kids ages 6-12 can contact Barbara Castellan at: barbaraecastellan@gmail.com, or Amy Robertson at: amrobertson@uidaho.edu.