Jason
Fore, 15, who was designated EAA Young Eagle No. 800,000 as a result
of his June 8 flight, became enamored with aviation after the
milestone, according to his father, Ballard Fore. It was Jason’s
first trip in an airplane and it really piqued his interest, said
Fore, a resident of appropriately Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina.
He’s even started talking about being a fighter pilot. Some of the
pilots advised him to fly tankers because they can make more money
when they get out.
Tim Woolard, Young Eagles Flight Leader, recalled the teenager being keenly interested in everything that was going on. I really feel like we turned something on in him with the flight, said Woolard, Winterville, North Carolina, who has flown nearly 30 Young Eagles in just under two years as a private pilot. Jason was entered into the log book as #800K in late June and the following week, Woolard invited him to the Wright Memorial and museum.
Even though he’s from Kill Devil Hills, site of the Wrights’ first sustained, powered flight in 1903, Jason had never been to the memorial. He seemed to hang on every word, Woolard continued. We would never have taken him had he not shown such an interest.
A member of Chapter 960 in Farmville, Woolard deflects credit for piloting the flight. He instead praises the volunteers on the ground and EAA for making the program possible. I feel that I was the incidental part of all this, I really do, he said. Pilots seem to get a lot of the credit, but I want to thank my chapter and its volunteers. A lot of our members are non-pilots but they just love aviation and aircraft. They always show up ready and willing to do all the work.
He also credits Dillon’s Aviation, Pitt-Greenville Airport (PGV) for providing access to the airplane he flew, a Cessna 172. A total of four Dillon’s aircraft were used on June 8.
There really is a brotherhood here of EAA people.
Young Eagles’ leap from 700,000 to 800,000 was reached in less than a year, despite last September's airspace shutdown that eliminated some prime flying days and weekends. EAA thanks every volunteer, pilot and ground support, who has contributed to the success of the program thus far. The final goal of 1 million Young Eagles by December 17, 2003, appears closer than ever.