Young Eagles Take Flight

About 70 young people took to the skies last Saturday at Wellington Municipal Airport, each one getting a firsthand taste of flight during the Chisholm Trail Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter’s Young Eagles Rally.

Open to youth ages 8 to 17, the program offered free flights with a mission to introduce and inspire the next generation of aviation enthusiasts – and many families traveled to Wellington for that very opportunity.

“I’ve always been interested in flying,” said eighth grader Ezra Jantz, who made the trip from Wichita with his parents, Brad and Rhonda, for his first-ever flight.

Volunteer pilot David Martin from Kingman, Kansas took Ezra up in his Christen Eagle, a high-performance biplane known for its precision handling and aerobatic capabilities.

During their flight, Martin treated Ezra to a gentle roll – and just like that, he was hooked.