Recap of 2023 International Young Eagles Day and Learn to Fly Week

July 2023 –

International Young Eagles Day

EAA’s annual celebration of Young Eagles was held on Saturday, June 10, 2023. This 30-year-long tradition was launched in the early days of the Young Eagles program. The goal was to focus all of EAA’s volunteer and chapter efforts on getting as many Young Eagles flown as possible, and that this activity would spur new volunteers and chapters to engage, while encouraging current participants to stay engaged. Since the first edition was such a hit, EAA has continued to celebrate International Young Eagles Day on the second Saturday of each June.

The 30th International Young Eagles Day was a roaring success, as the momentum generated by chapters across the globe was felt here in Oshkosh. Early reports indicate the number of chapter-hosted rallies was up from 2022, translating to an increased number of Young Eagles flown.

What has been most exciting has been seeing all the chapter newsletters and social media posts recapping successful Young Eagles rallies. Flying Young Eagles isn’t about the number flown; it is about the impact us volunteers make on youths. It is clear that EAA volunteers are taking this message to heart by flying one Young Eagle at a time and offering value-added ground activities.

From our hangar to yours, thank you for supporting International Young Eagles Day! As a reminder, the double Young Eagles Credit offering for chapters will continue through the end of July 2023, so there is still plenty of reason to squeeze in a few additional flights.

Learn to Fly Week

May 15-20, 2023, marked the inaugural EAA Learn to Fly Week presented by Sporty’s Pilot Shop. By all accounts it was an extremely successful week of sharing The Spirit of Aviation and welcoming new participants to EAA.

The week began with five straight days of educational webinars. Twelve presentations were provided, covering topics ranging from getting started in flight training, preparing for the FAA knowledge test, how to save time and money, and checkride strategies. All of these webinars are archived for viewing at EAA.org/LTFWeek.

Saturday, May 20, was the day for EAA chapters to shine! Nearly 65 Flying Start events were held by chapters across the United States, plus one event in Canada. Approximately 500 folks attended these Flying Start events, with almost 350 getting to experience the magic of flight through an EAA Eagle Flight.

The chapters which participated in Learn to Fly Week by hosting a Flying Start event were issued two complimentary weekly wristbands for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023. Chapters had the ability to gift them to volunteers or raffle them off as a fundraiser.

Next year, EAA Learn to Fly Week is tentatively scheduled for May 13-18, 2024. Mark your calendars so that your chapter can get involved in the fun!