The Final Push for Mission 2.5 Is On!

With less than four months to go, the final push to reach 2.5 million Young Eagles flown by EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 is upon us!

As of early March, we are within 25,000 Young Eagles of reaching 2.5 million Young Eagles flown. This puts us right on target to complete Mission 2.5 in the final lead-up to AirVenture. Spring and early summer of 2025 were about as rough as it gets when it comes to canceled Young Eagles events due to weather. There were nearly double the number of canceled events in June 2025 as compared to normal years.

Fall 2025 was a completely different story. As Young Eagles volunteers often do, you all rose to the occasion. August through November were extremely active months for Young Eagles. While these months didn’t completely offset the slow spring/summer, it put EAA back on track to accomplish Mission 2.5.

As a reminder, there are two special incentives in place for Mission 2.5:

• Pilot the Mission — Chapters are encouraged to recruit new volunteer Young Eagles pilots. For every first-time Young Eagles pilot, the sponsoring chapter will earn $25 in additional Young Eagles Credits. January 1–July 31, 2026
• Fly 25 for 2.5 — Volunteer pilots who fly 25 or more Young Eagles from October 1, 2025, to July 31, 2026, will earn a commemorative cap courtesy of Sporty’s

On top of all the exciting Young Eagles Mission 2.5 happenings, I am also thrilled to announce EAA Learn to Fly Week is returning May 11-16! 

This event will be focused on helping people achieve their dream of becoming a pilot. After three consecutive days of virtual presentations, the week will be capped on May 16, with Flying Start events hosted at local airports all around the country. Your chapter is invited to participate in these Flying Start events!

Chapters that host a Flying Start event on May 16 will receive additional promotional support from EAA and will be issued two weekly passes for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026. To qualify for the wristbands, events must have at least five attendees. To learn more or start planning your chapter’s event, visit EAA.org/FlyingStart.

Springtime is often considered a time of renewal, so now is the perfect time to renew your commitment to the Young Eagles program. As we approach 2.5 million Young Eagles flown, you can play a role in the next phase of this historic program!

Tailwinds,

David Leiting, EAA Lifetime 579157

Eagles Program Manager