Rod Hightower
by Rod Hightower, President/CEO
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)
In the number of months that I’ve had the privilege to be president and CEO of EAA, I’ve confirmed several things that I already believed about our EAA community.
First, EAA is filled with passionate aviators. Flying is more than what our members do; it is an integral ingredient of who they are. Regardless of each member’s particular aviation interest, the connection with flight is strong and deep.
EAA members also believe passionately in helping aviation to succeed and grow. Whether it’s during one of my Grassroots Pilot Tour stops, through the members I meet in Oshkosh at the EAA Aviation Center or AirVenture, or in the e-mails and letters I receive, a common thread runs through the conversation: How do we expand aviation interest and enthusiasm?
Creating the next generation of aviators is one of today’s top priorities at EAA. By the next generation, I don’t only mean young people. We also seek all those who will discover aviation – regardless of age – and make it part of their lifestyle.
EAA’s outreach to young people is already well-established and successful through the Young Eagles program, which began in 1992. For the past several months, EAA and FAA compared the names of those flown through the Young Eagles program with FAA’s aviation database. The results show impressive initial results from the efforts of more than 43,000 pilots and 50,000 ground volunteers. Those dedicated EAA members have already flown more than 1.6 million young people.
A Young Eagle is 5.4 times more likely to become a pilot than a young person of similar age who has not had a Young Eagles experience. Already, Young Eagles comprise 7.3 percent of all pilots below age 35 – a number that will only grow as these young adults continue to further engage in aviation. That’s a tremendous credit to those who fly Young Eagles and encouragement to everyone else who should consider it.
Young Eagles, and the new “Flight Plan” experiences that include our partnership with Sporty’s Pilot Shop and its Online Pilot Training Course, made available free of charge to all Young Eagles, are examples of the pathways toward participation that reaches more than 70,000 young people each year. Other young people may find their introduction through involvement in our Air Academy camps that serve hundreds of youth each summer.
For others of all ages, the pathway to participation could come through the EAA aircraft tours that welcome more than 14,000 people aboard our B-17 and Ford Tri-Motor each year or in the thousands of EAA chapter events that take place in local communities throughout the country every year.
These introductions are great, but we must do more as a GA community to follow through and create aviators. When a system has a success rate as low as 20 percent – which one estimate puts the current completion rate of all those who begin flight training – something needs improvement in the process. We cannot focus on pilot starts. We must focus instead on pilot completions.
EAA’s chapter network is an excellent place to reach those who want to fly in local cities and towns. We’re working on ways to make the chapters more effective portals to flight, as well as a place where people are welcomed and feel comfortable as part of a supportive aviation community. And, as Midwest Flyer Magazine readers know, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is one of the world’s greatest aviation recruiting tools, as each year it shows all of us what’s possible in all of aviation. Besides that, AirVenture is a transformative experience for anyone who aspires to become an aviator.
There is certainly no end to the issues that EAA can address on the regulatory side to make aviation more accessible. We are doing and will continue to do just that. At the same time, the infrastructure and commerce that are essential to maintaining a strong aviator community absolutely depend on increasing the number of those entering the world of flight.
And while that depends on all of us together, it also depends on each one of us individually.
This is where I challenge each of you who enjoy aviation. EAA is dedicated to showcasing aviation and opening the door for others to participate. We welcome you to join us in that effort. More importantly, each of us must ask ourselves, “What am I doing to help create aviators?” Invite, support and encourage those who show interest. Aviation in America is a unique expression of freedom unmatched in our world. We must continue to inspire and excite the public in a positive manner in order to grow this wonderful experience we share.
