Young Eagles – Operating Within Program Guidelines

May, 2024 —  Operating within the Young Eagles program guidelines is critical to the long-term viability of the program. The insurance extended to EAA to cover the Young Eagles program, including the additional $1 million of liability coverage provided to pilots, is done so with the understanding that program guidelines are followed on each and every flight. Failure to follow these guidelines may jeopardize the insurance coverage and long-term viability of the program.

The Young Eagles program has an incredible history of safe operations. This is thanks to the quality of volunteers who support the program and their passion for safely flying youths. This incredible safety record is why the Young Eagles program is able to obtain its annual insurance coverage. This coverage is imperative to the program, as it covers the volunteer pilots, chapters, as well as EAA.

Although the safety record of the program is fantastic, it should not be a surprise that there are several program requirements, many of which are vital to ensuring continued insurance coverage for the program and volunteer pilots. By and large, pilots and chapters can customize the Young Eagles flight experience, but it is worth noting that the program requirements that do exist are nonnegotiable. Failure to follow these program guidelines will result in corrective action from EAA.

Young Eagles Flight Requirements

• Flights must be completed in Day VFR conditions.
• Participants may follow along on the controls, but you must always remain in command of the aircraft.
• No aerobatic maneuvers, unusual attitudes, or formation flights are permitted. This includes zero-g maneuvers.
• Young Eagles must use a seatbelt at all times; no changing of seats while airborne.
• No more than three Young Eagles can be flown at one time.
• Hot loading is strictly prohibited (boarding or deplaning with the engines running).
• Pilots must be current EAA members and current on their Youth Protection Training/Background Check.

Young Eagles Waiver Requirements

• The Young Eagles liability waiver must be signed by the pilot and parent/legal guardian before the flight. This requirement is an absolute must.
• EAA only accepts three versions of the Young Eagles waiver:
  • Two-sided waiver/registration form dated REV: 06/21
  • The printed waiver from the Young Eagles Online Registration system
  • EAA Digital Signature App waiver submission
• The waivers should be submitted to EAA as soon as practical following the flight.
• Any waivers submitted with missing signatures will result in a follow-up communication to the pilot and/or EAA chapter.

EAA is becoming stricter regarding missing signatures/using the incorrect waiver due to several recent issues. This is not because the Young Eagles office takes pleasure in following up and cracking down on volunteers, but it is because the team is committed to ensuring the long-term viability of the program, as well as continued protection for the volunteers.

If you have any questions about the program requirements, please email our team at yeagles@eaa.org.