Pictured left, Board Director Hap Pool buckles up to join Director George Saunders for the inaugural flight of Eagle Aviator’s newly acquired Taurus. Pool and Saunders took to the skies in Eagle on May 25, 2023 and have since logged about a dozen landings each.
The game plan is to train local flight instructors who can teach young aviators to fly the Taurus. The Eagle Aviators Board of Directors hopes to begin offering flight lessons in the Taurus this summer building the program up to schedule more students by early fall 2023.
Flying a glider provides a jump start to begin learning the skills and principles of flying as early as possible. According to the Soaring Society of America (SSA), “Student pilots may solo at a minimum age of 14 with a student certificate endorsed for solo flight. After solo, student pilots may qualify as a Private Pilot-Glider provided they are at least 16 years of age.” Comparatively, to become a Private Pilot, you must be at least 16 years of age to solo and 17 to receive your private pilot certificate.