Suwannee Fly-In sends 83 Young Eagles soaring

Kids receiving their Young Eagles certificates after their first flight. -SVT Photos by Tami Stevenson

The airplane train was very popular as well. -SVT Photo

By Tami Stevenson

Last Saturday, aviation enthusiasts came together for the 2025 Suwannee County Fly-In event, held at Suwannee County Airport, to browse vintage airplane displays, military aircraft displays and enjoy food vendors, arts and crafts and some good old aviation camaraderie.

     The biggest attraction was the Young Eagles event where 83 local kids, between ages 8–17, soared in the skies for their first time, Saturday. The program encourages youth to explore careers in aviation by giving them a free ride in an airplane. Each child that flew received a Young Eagles certificate.

     According to Young Eagles Coordinator Stephanie Speer, once they fill out their certificate, there is an online course students can take. If they enter the number from the back of their certificate, they can get free ground school that can cost upwards of $3,000. From there they can go to a certified flight instructor to earn their private license.

     Speer said she wanted to become a Young Eagles Coordinator to bring aviation to our youth and our next generation to come. “Seeing the grin from ear to ear when a child comes out of the plane they just flew is priceless!” She said, “At EAA Chapter 797 Young Eagles, we strive to bring as many childhood dreams of soaring in the skies to reality with our Young Eagle rallies.”  They plan to hold three or four events per year.

     The event is presented by The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 797, the Suwannee County Airport, Suwannee County Tourist Development Council and others.

     A big thank you to the pilots. Each pilot is a volunteer. They bring their own plane and pay for their own fuel at the Young Eagle events.

     According to the EAA website, Young Eagles launched in 1992 and nearly 2.5 million young people have enjoyed a free introductory flight through the Young Eagles program. Their sole mission is to introduce and inspire kids in the world of aviation. These flights are made possible through the generosity of EAA member volunteers.

Marshall Mead with his 9 year old son, Logan. It was Logan’s first time going up in a plane. He said it was fun! When asked if he got dizzy at all, he said no, but his stomach dropped a few times when wind jostled them around. “I touched the window and it jiggled my whole body.” Logan flew in a Cessna 180 taildragger with pilot Steve Hartl. -SVT Photo

Bell 407 helicopter from Suwannee Air Rescue. -SVT Photo

Two men discussing the plane on display. -SVT Photo

Vendor booths during the Suwannee Fly-In, Saturday. -SVT Photo

L-R: Andres Gonzalez and Kelvin Nguyen listen to Robert Hallock from EEA Chapter 797, explain about their work in putting together a plane that was donated in parts. They are re-building the wings from scratch and are talking about the rudder that was donated. -SVT Photo

One of the vendor booths: Paintings by Kate Less-Madsen of O’Brien. -SVT Photo