How to Start a Young Eagles Program
The Young Eagles program has introduced hundreds of thousands of kids to flight. Here is what it takes to launch one at your local EAA chapter.
The Young Eagles program is one of the most successful youth aviation initiatives in American history. Since 1992, EAA member pilots have given free introductory flights to more than 2.3 million young people between the ages of 8 and 17. Many of those young people went on to earn their pilot certificates. Some became military aviators, airline captains, and aerospace engineers.
Every one of those flights started the same way — with a pilot who decided to make it happen.
Starting a Young Eagles program at your local EAA chapter is not complicated. But like most things worth doing, it requires structure, preparation, and a commitment to consistency. This guide covers everything you need to get your program in the air.
What the Young Eagles Program Is
Young Eagles is an official EAA program. To participate as a pilot, you must be an EAA member, hold at least a sport pilot certificate, have a current flight review and medical (as required for your certificate type), and carry the minimum required insurance. Rallies — organized Young Eagles flight events — must be registered with EAA and follow the program’s guidelines.
This structure exists for good reasons. It protects the young passengers, the pilots, and the organization. Understanding it from the start prevents problems later.
Step One: Affiliate with EAA
If your chapter is not already affiliated with EAA at the national level, that is the starting point. EAA chapter membership provides access to the Young Eagles program, group insurance options, registration systems, and national marketing support.
If you are an individual pilot without a local chapter, the Young Eagles program can also be conducted through an existing chapter, or you can work to establish a new chapter in your area. EAA provides chapter formation support at eaa.org.
Step Two: Designate a Young Eagles Coordinator
Every successful Young Eagles program has a dedicated coordinator — someone who manages logistics, communicates with families, schedules pilots, handles the paperwork, and serves as the face of the program to the community.
The coordinator does not need to be a pilot, though many are. What they need is organizational ability, genuine enthusiasm for introducing young people to aviation, and the time to do the job consistently.
Designating this role formally — in writing, with clear responsibilities — is one of the most important structural decisions your chapter will make.
Step Three: Recruit and Vet Participating Pilots
Not every pilot who wants to volunteer is ready to fly Young Eagles passengers immediately. Every participating pilot must:
Meet EAA’s currency and certification requirements. Hold at least the minimum required insurance. Complete the EAA background check (required for pilots who fly minors). Familiarize themselves with the Young Eagles pilot briefing and program guidelines.
Build a roster of committed pilots rather than a long list of names. Three pilots who show up to every rally are more valuable than fifteen who show up occasionally. Reliability is everything when families have driven an hour to the airport and their child is standing on the ramp looking at the sky.
Step Four: Secure the Venue and Coordinate with Airport Management
Contact your airport manager before scheduling your first rally. Most airports are supportive of Young Eagles events — they bring positive attention to general aviation — but they have operational requirements that need to be addressed: ramp space, parking, ground safety procedures, and coordination with any fuel vendor or FBO involved.
Get the conversation in writing. Confirm the dates, the ramp area, and any airport fees or requirements. This is also the time to identify restroom access, shade or shelter for waiting families, and a briefing area for the pilots and passengers.
Is your chapter ready to build something bigger than a rally program? AviationLegacies.com helps aviation organizations build the legal and fundraising infrastructure to sustain youth programs long-term. Learn more at aviationlegacies.com/contact.
Step Five: Develop Your Safety Briefing and Passenger Procedures
The EAA provides standardized materials for Young Eagles rallies, including passenger briefing guides, flight log cards, and parental consent forms. Use them. They exist because they work and because they protect everyone involved.
Add your own local safety briefing covering the specific conditions at your airport: the ramp layout, where families should stand, what to do if weather changes, and how the boarding process works.
Consistency in safety procedures is not bureaucracy. It is the thing that lets volunteers relax and focus on the young people they are serving.
Step Six: Market to Families and Schools
The demand for Young Eagles flights consistently exceeds supply in most areas. Getting the word out is not difficult — what matters is reaching the right families.
Contact local schools, homeschool networks, scout troops, and youth organizations. A brief presentation at a school or a flyer in a community newsletter can fill a rally. Many chapters have found that one successful rally generates word-of-mouth that fills the next three.
Build a simple email list from the beginning. Families who bring one child often want to bring siblings. Former Young Eagles who are now old enough to volunteer sometimes return to help as ground crew.
Step Seven: Register Each Rally with EAA
Every Young Eagles rally must be registered with EAA through the online Young Eagles management system. This registration activates EAA’s program liability coverage for the event, generates the official Young Eagles certificates for participants, and adds each young person’s flight to the official program log.
Dont skip this step. The registration is what makes the flight official in EAA’s records, and it is part of the program’s legacy for each participant.
Building for the Long Term
A Young Eagles program that runs one rally per year is meaningful. A program that runs monthly, that has a waiting list of young passengers, that feeds students into formal ground school and flight training — that is a legacy.
The organizations that achieve that level of impact are the ones that treat the program as a serious institutional effort, not an informal gathering. They have coordinators, documented procedures, a web presence, and financial infrastructure that lets them accept donations and apply for grants.
The first rally is just the beginning.
Young Eagles programs change lives — and they require real organizational commitment to sustain. If you are building a program that is meant to last, AviationLegacies.com can help you build the structure around it.
Start the conversation at aviationlegacies.com/contact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Young Eagles pilots need special insurance beyond their standard aviation insurance? EAA provides liability coverage for registered Young Eagles events, but this coverage supplements — it does not replace — a pilot’s own aviation liability insurance. Every participating pilot should confirm their personal policy covers passenger-carrying flights, including flights under the Young Eagles program. Consult your insurance broker before your first rally.
Is there an age limit for Young Eagles passengers? Young Eagles flights are available to young people between the ages of 8 and 17. Participants who have their first flight between those ages are eligible for additional EAA benefits, including the online ground school curriculum and a free student membership. Once a young person completes their first solo flight, they no longer qualify for the program as a passenger.
How long does a typical Young Eagles flight last? Young Eagles flights are typically 20 to 30 minutes, giving the pilot enough time to show the passenger the local area, demonstrate basic controls, and share why flying matters. The goal is an experience, not a flight lesson — though many Young Eagles flights spark exactly the interest that leads to one.
Can homeschool students participate in Young Eagles? Absolutely. Homeschool families are among the most enthusiastic Young Eagles participants, and many chapters have developed specific relationships with homeschool networks. Some chapters incorporate ground education alongside the flights, making the experience even more valuable for families who integrate aviation into their curriculum.
Does the Young Eagles program provide ground school or path to a pilot certificate? The EAA Young Eagles program includes access to the online King Schools ground school curriculum for participants who have completed their first Young Eagles flight. This is a full private pilot ground school curriculum provided at no cost to the participant. Many Young Eagles chapters also connect participants with local flight schools and scholarship opportunities through the EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship program.
