Do you thinka major snowstorm and bitter cold temperatures would slow people down? In District VII, it doesn’t! The EAA held its must-attend Winter Flight Fest in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Not only does the National Free Flight (FF) Society hold one of its competitions, but Saturday is open to the public, with many families in attendance. The young and the young at heart come to learn and experience the passion of aviation. Not only did those attending the FF competition ask questions on that aspect of the hobby, but they even had aircraft for youth to fly.
Area clubs also attended. The Circle Masters of Milwaukee showed the skills of Control Line aviation, and the Winnebago RC Club defied gravity with demonstrations of RC aircraft. The Winter Flight Fest provided a perfect environment for the introduction of model aircraft and its various disciplines.
One of the many aspects of the Winter Flight Fest as a first-rate event is the engagement of youth. Despite a massivesnowstorm, nearly 700 parents and their families attended. EAA sees youth as the future in aviation and has wonderful programs and events to suit all age ranges.
Programs for early elementary and middle school kids bring excitement. Would you believe that a small cutout from a piece of paper and something as simple as a cardboard box top created a "Slope Soaring" glider that had the youngsters following in amazement? How about making a small, rubber-powered FF airplane that filled the room with children’s oohs, ahhhs, and giggles?
To keep the excitement going, even after the day’s activities had ended, all children went home with something such as a Guillow’s 12-inch rubber-powered balsa airplane. The engagement we strive for does not end when the day’s activities are over. Providing an active reminder of the event leads to future engagement.
Think of the programs that your club can put on. Although we often focus on bringing new members into our clubs, that really is a secondary benefit. Think more of the community relationships being built and of the influence in mathematics and science that youth are exposed to. Those are the building blocks to a strong future.
Reach out to Scouting groups. There are aviation-based merit badges that are perfect for model clubs to assist Scouts in obtaining. What about your area’s children’s museum? Many host event days and even summer camps. This is the perfect time to reach out to your community’s school districts to look at engaging programs and partnerships for the 2025-2026 school year. UAS4STEM might be a good program to suggest for the next school year.
Don’t forget to engage with your local EAA chapter and work with their youth programs or perhaps join in a partnership with their Young Eagles program. Share a display or offer flying demonstrations and buddy boxing with youth.
What about club open houses and flying events that are planned for this summer? Although we like to fly our models, let’s take the extra effort to make visitors feel welcome. Take the initiative and engage with those who visit your flying site. Visitors are often shy and afraid to approach us. It is amazing what a simple "hello" and "welcome" can lead to. Take the opportunity to obtain something like Guillow’s airplanes and make sure that every youth who visits your site goes home with one. Have your club logo printed on them as an ongoing reminder.
Have your club trainer ready to let the visitors try their hand at flying and actively invite them to. I suggest "detuning" the trainer to provide the experienceof flying. We are not teaching them to fly on this initial visit. A guest is going to be nervous enough, so let’s make the first time on the sticks the most relaxed and pleasurable time they can have, and they will leave with the feeling of a positive experience. Seeing a smile as they finish the flight tells you that they will be passing that excitement on to friends and family and more will attend in the future.
As summer approaches, let’s really get out there and share the passion. See you throughout the season.