Young Eagles Updates From HQ

One year ago, EAA announced Mission 2.5, the goal of reaching 2.5 million Young Eagles by opening day of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026. While not the loftiest goal ever set by EAA, it would require chapters and volunteer pilots to fly a bit more than the rough average of 60,000 Young Eagles per year. Factor in the challenges we've faced with poor weather, and the goal did seem a bit more daunting.

As we rolled through spring, it became clear that the goal was certainly achievable, but it would require the weather to cooperate throughout June and July. While I can't say the weather was pristine across the board, it was good enough for volunteers to provide a final push to do their part in accomplishing Mission 2.5.

To ensure every flight was counted, our team brought in additional help to enter waivers in the weeks leading up to AirVenture. Heading into the final weekend before opening day, there were less than 1,000 Young Eagles that needed to be flown to hit 2.5 million.

Sunday, July 19, 24 hours before the gates would open for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026, the Young Eagles tracker ticked over to 2,500,002. EAA volunteers accomplished Mission 2.5 with two Young Eagles to spare.

While the numbers will always be impressive, it is critical to remember that Young Eagles is not simply a numbers game. Yes, there will always be a desire to fly more youths, but challenges such as Mission 2.5 don't exist to simply pump out large numbers. They serve as an avenue to celebrate the program, bring additional attention to the impact, and recruit new volunteers.

It is my hope that EAA can continue to celebrate this milestone and inspire new volunteers to join this amazing group of folks dedicated to sharing The Spirit of Aviation!

Rolling into the fall, our team at EAA HQ is tasked with major work to the EAA Chapter Events online registration tool (EAAChapters.org) used for Young Eagles rally management. Unfortunately, the past few months have been plagued with system sluggishness and failure of the EAA Digital Signature app.

EAA is taking a full system backend refactor of the system. This will improve system performance and create a more efficient digital signature process. Read about this full update later in this month's newsletter.

In the midst of AirVenture planning, online registration support, and Mission 2.5, EAA reached another major milestone. On International Young Eagles Day (June 13, 2026), EAA eclipsed more than 200,000 Young Eagles that had registered for an EAA student membership and enrollment in the Sporty's Learn to Fly Course.

The most encouraging part of the enrollment? The number of youths taking advantage of the post-flight benefits (flight lesson voucher and FAA exam reimbursement) have been on a steady increase over the past eight years. 2026 looks to be the biggest year yet for both of those offerings.

Have a tremendous fall. Thank you for continuing to inspire the next generation of aviators. As the numbers show, your efforts are working and more youths are getting engaged following their Young Eagles flight than ever before.

Tailwinds,
David Leiting, EAA Lifetime 579157
Eagles Program Manager