Youth receive the gift of flight

THREE MILE — Saturday morning, the youth of Boundary County took to the sky, thanks to the Young Eagles program.  

Excited families gathered at the airport beginning at 8 a.m. on Sept. 7 to sign up for their free flights provided by the Experimental Aviation Association. Youth selected to go up for the first time anxiously waited for their turn for a 15-minute tour of the county from the air.  

The Young Eagles program was launched in 1992 by the EAA and has dedicated 30 years to providing free flights to youth ages 8-17.  

“The program introduces young people to aviation and lets them know about the huge number of opportunities in aviation for a career and/or recreation,” Rick Durden, coordinator for the Bonners Ferry Young Eagles Chapter, said. “The Bonners Ferry Chapter of the EAA has been fortunate enough to provide Young Eagles flights for many years and we’ve been thrilled to see that some of the kids who have gotten their first airplane rides with us have gone on to careers in aviation.”  

On Saturday, Don Jordan, a member of the EAA, said that an estimated 100 kids went up for a flight that day.  

The Young Eagles program collectively has given free introductory flights to over 2 million youths over the years.  

The program is made possible through the generosity of EAA member volunteers.  

The Bonners Ferry chapter also puts on five huckleberry pancake breakfasts during the summertime. These breakfasts are the last Saturday of May-September and are to raise money for local student pilot scholarships.  

“A number of those scholarship recipients have gone on to have careers in aviation,” Durden said. 

The pancake breakfasts take place with the help of community support, specifically, Super 1 Foods, 3 Mile Cafe, and The Bonners Ferry Rotary Club. 

The next and final pancake breakfast is September 28.  For more information call 208 267 4359. 

The Boundary County Airport is located at 64602 U.S. 2, Bonners Ferry.