Annual Young Eagles event takes flight in Pahrump

Drifting, soaring and gliding could best describe the feelings of many young local residents this past Saturday as the Pahrump Chapter 1160 Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) returned to provide Young Eagle flights to the valley’s youth.

Each year, the association, in partnership with Henderson, Nevada EAA Chapter 1300, hosts the Young Eagles Rally in Pahrump, where young people get a free 15-to-20 minute flight out of the Calvada Meadows Airport, to learn for themselves what the town appears like from an elevated perspective.

Once aloft, the youth can follow along at the controls to get a better sense of basic aviation maneuvers, such as climbs, turns and descents, above the valley floor.

Eventually, the pilot heads back to the airport for a soft landing and taxi back to the rally area.

Once on the ground, the youth may spend further time with the pilot to gain more knowledge and advice on pursuing a career as a future pilot.

Afterward, the youth are presented with a certificate making he or she an official “Young Eagle.”

Local pilot Roy Mankins has been flying for roughly 45 years.

His choice of aircraft is a Cherokee 180.

“It is a very nice little airplane,” he said. “We want to get the kids involved at an early age because quite frankly, it turns them into pilots, and the more pilots we have, the better off we are. I have been participating in this event for about 12 years. I do plan on continuing to participate because it’s one of the highlights of our year.”

Helping young people

Mankins also said each one the participating pilots truly enjoy working with the kids each year.

“Seeing the smiles on their faces when they get off the airplane is something that you won’t forget,” he said. “Today the kids enjoyed it really well, as they always do. The weather is almost perfect. There’s a little bit of wind, but not enough to really create any problems. Things are going absolutely perfect today. We had a really good turnout and we have a lot of pilots who have very happily volunteered their time to fly.”

Additionally, Mankins mentioned another important purpose for the local flights.

“We also want the town of Pahrump and the kids to realize that there is an airport here,” he noted. “We have really made many major improvements to the airport here.”

The free rides were limited to those at least eight years old, but not yet 18 years old.

One such person who qualified was Pahrump resident Electra Brown, who was beaming with excitement as she returned to the tarmac after her flight.

“I wasn’t scared at all,” Brown declared. “I got a certificate after my flight. Me and my family have lived here in Pahrump for about three years and I am definitely going to do this again next year. I also got to fly last year and it was very fun and I really liked it a lot.”

Another person who enjoys the flights is none other than local pilot Larry Moody, who said he’s a proud member of the EAA.

“I just participated to help get younger people interested in the field of aviation,” Moody noted. “That’s the whole point. I’ve been flying for about three years.”

Moody also said his choice of aircraft at present, is of the ultralight, home-built variety.

“I did not build it myself, but it came 99 percent complete when I purchased it,” he recalled. “It only took me three years to get it flying after that. I didn’t really know a lot about airplanes. I purchased the airplane and contacted the EAA out here, and they literally helped me get it off the ground. I learned a lot working with them and little minor tweaks here and there.”

Among those minor tweaks were a few modifications to the plane’s design.

“The guy who built it was only 4 feet 11 inches,” Moody said. “I am much taller than that, so I had to move the rudder pedals and replace the windshield because it wasn’t high enough for me. There were just a couple of other little tweaks and changes that I had to make. It wasn’t a lot. I just worked on it, on the weekends and my days off. I finished it up and it flies like a dream. I have another project which I call a ‘basket case’ that I will be working on when the opportunity presents itself. It’s not an ultralight because it’s actually certificated.”

Civil Air Patrol

Assisting with the Young Eagles Rally, were members of Pahrump’s Civil Air Patrol, or simply CAP.

The Civil Air Patrol recruits cadets from ages 12 to 21.

Cadet Staff Sgt. Ryan Blankenship said the Civil Air Patrol assisted in the overall operations during the event.

The cadets were also treated to a few flights of their own while learning the basics of aviation.

“It was mainly just to go up in the air and get some flight time in,” Blankenship said. “We got to go over some of the basics of flight. Some of us got their first-ever airplane flight. The pilots took us out where we would do a pre-flight check. Afterwards, we would taxi onto the runway.”

“After we took off, we actually did a loop around the entire Pahrump Valley,” Blankenship said. “After we arrived back at the Calvada airport, we were given our flight certificates from the Experimental Aircraft Association for undertaking our first flight with them. Throughout the day, we were able to help out and perform guard work for the ultralight aircraft which were also there. We were there just to make sure that no one tried to tamper with any of the aircraft.”

At present, there are roughly several dozen members of Pahrump’s Experimental Aircraft Association.

The group holds monthly meetings, while throughout the year they raise money to purchase the aviation fuel for the Young Eagles program, which can exceed upward of $600.

Since 1992, EAA pilots nationally have provided 1.9 million Young Eagle flights in more than 90 countries, as a way for young prospective pilots to get a taste of flying free of charge.

In years past, thousands of Young Eagles have later pursued aviation and eventually become private and even commercial pilots.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. Follow @sharrispvt on Twitter.