EAA bring real life STEM appetite to Young Eagles by free flights

2.3 million kids flown by 50K volunteers,
10K by Fred Stadler 

FRED STADLER, whose image is included in the above graphic, is being recognized for flying the 10,000th child for FREE in the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles program. Why is this significant? 

Any educator will confirm that a student excited about a subject is more likely to be enthusiastic in her/his studies. Almost¹ all aviation professionals will confirm that the pipeline of engineers, pilots and associated positions is deficient.  Beyond aviation, the nation has established multiple initiatives to attract students to Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM). The FAA has established its own STEM + STUDENTS = SUCCESS IN AVIATION pages. 

The Young Eagles campaign is a BRILLIANT approach to encourage students to flight and beyond as careers early in their education. First, in the absence or a reader’s experience in a GA airplane, you need to know that sitting in a cockpit, viewing the ground falling away as you climb, feeling the freedom of aerial movement and just enjoying this perspective on your environs qualify as exhilarating. Yes, initially there is some trepidation, but with a master at the controls like Fred, concerns evaporate. As evidenced by the images included in this post, a SMILE is the universal expression after A first time flyer exits. 

When this young boy or girl returns to school, the lesson of that experience helps open the dreaded math textbook. The EAA members, during these airborne STEM real life lab moments, convey by Sight and Sound, the value of memorizing the times table, understanding acute and obtuse angles and maybe the real world application of sines and cosines are. After a few flights, algorithms may appear on the learning horizon?!?!? 

Thanks to Fred and his fellow more than 50,000 volunteer pilots have flown more than 2.3 million young people². STEM has had to have benefitted from these classrooms in the sky. 

Oshkosh resident Fred Stadler becomes first to fly 10,000 kids in EAA Young Eagles program 

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (September 6, 2023) — Fred Stadler, a longtime EAA volunteer both year-round and at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, has become the FIRST INDIVIDUAL TO FLY 10,000 KIDS FREE OF CHARGE as part of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles program. Stadler, who began flying young people as part of the program in 2000, reached the milestone on August 26 with a flight at the EAA Aviation Museum’s Pioneer Airport. 

The EAA Young Eagles program began in 1992 with EAA-member pilots volunteering their time to fly kids ages 8-17 to introduce them to the world of flight. Since the first flights at the 1992 EAA fly-in convention, more than 50,000 volunteer pilots have flown in excess of 2.3 million young people. 

“Fred’s remarkable accomplishment is indicative of the dedication of our Young Eagles volunteers to make a difference and build the future of flight,” said Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO and Chairman of the Board. “There are so many young pilots today who got their start when an EAA-member pilot provided that first flight, igniting a spark that became a career for many. Fred and all those EAA members have earned our congratulations and sincere thanks for their efforts, along with a call for other aviators to join us in flying Young Eagles.” 

Many of Stadler’s Young Eagles flights came as a volunteer pilot at the EAA Aviation Museum’s Pioneer Airport, a seasonal operation that re-creates the feel of a 1930s airfield. Young visitors can receive a free Young Eagles flight (with parental permission) when they visit the museum during the Pioneer Airport season. 

In addition to his Young Eagles flying, Stadler is a dedicated EAA volunteer throughout the year. He has also flown Pioneer Airport’s Travel Air and Swallow biplanes, becoming the de facto historian on those airplanes. In addition, he volunteers substantial time during AirVenture in the North 40 aircraft camping area and is highly active in EAA Chapter 252 activities in Oshkosh. 

Stadler and his late wife, Carol, received EAA’s Henry Kimberly Spirit of Leadership Award in 2006 for their volunteer efforts by Oshkosh-area residents. 

About EAA 
The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and embodies The Spirit of Aviation through the world’s most engaged community of aviation enthusiasts. EAA’s 270,000 members and 900 local chapters enjoy the fun and camaraderie of sharing their passion for flying, building and restoring recreational aircraft. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or go to www.eaa.org. For continual news updates, connect with www.twitter.com/EAA.