Thank You, Harrison

On a sunny March afternoon in 2004, I had the plea- sure of introducing Harrison Ford as the new chair- man of the Young Eagles program, succeeding Gen. Chuck Yeager. Now, five years later, I am equally proud to watch Harrison announce that he will be succeeded in leading the Young Eagles program by Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and Jeff Skiles. It is a bittersweet moment; we are excited to welcome Sully and

Jeff to their new roles, yet a bit sad as Harrison steps down from his leadership position.

Harrison’s tenure as chairman has been far from ceremonial. In our initial conversations, he said if he were to take on the chairman position, he didn’t want it to be an “honorary” role. He wanted to be an active part of the program. He definitely lived up to that challenge.

He has been engaged, flying young people, motivating pilots, volunteers, and parents, providing his thoughts and suggestions, and promoting the program internationally. In many ways, he has helped expand Young Eagles beyond our expectations.

When we launched Young Eagles in 1992, many thought the program would end when we reached our goal of flying one million Young Eagles by the 100th anniversary of powered flight in 2003. But Young Eagles quickly became such a significant part of EAA’s culture that it had to continue. Young Eagles plays an important role within the EAA membership because it gives us the opportunity to build aviation’s future by getting children involved. It has become a central activity for EAA chapters. Without question, thanks to your effort and support, Young Eagles has become the most far-reaching youth education initiative in aviation history.

As with our past chairmen, Harrison has left his mark on the program. In 1992, founding Chairman Cliff Robertson stepped forward to establish the credibility of Young Eagles. He was followed in 1994 by Gen. Chuck Yeager, who made it his personal mission to lead the program to our initial goal.

At the time Harrison accepted the leadership role, he was already an active pilot who believed in the value of the program. He expressed it best when he said, “Many kids growing up today are not exposed to the responsibili-

His accomplishments as

Young Eagles chairman

demonstrate his belief

not only in the program

but also in the thousands

of dedicated pilots and

volunteers...

ties pilots are used to taking—safety for themselves and their passengers. Young Eagles shows them that many different kinds of people have developed the skills that enable them to take advantage of the freedom that flight offers. It’s exciting for me to watch these kids become excited about the potential, about the possibilities, and for them to know this is an earned experience.”

Under his leadership, Young Eagles has continued to be a strong program. Much has been accomplished:

• Nearly 500,000 Young Eagles have been added to the World’s Largest Logbook.

• Enhanced visibility of Young Eagles has enabled us to increase our outreach and upgrade the program.

• Extensive fundraising has allowed us to expand our vision,

which has provided additional programs and services to young adults.

• Significant motivation to Young Eagles pilots and volunteers.

His leadership has helped us to establish next steps such as the Sporty’s Pilot Program, which now gives Young Eagles a direct path to a pilot certificate through free access to Sporty’s complete online pilot training program.

Harrison has a deep passion for aviation. He is focused and dedicated. His accomplishments as Young Eagles chairman demonstrate his belief not only in the program but also in the thousands of dedicated pilots and volunteers who have made it possible.

As comfortable as Harrison became in his role, he also realized he could do more. Now, he plans to transition into a different mission. He’s promised to remain active with Young Eagles, but he will take a higher profile in supporting advocacy issues on behalf of the entire general aviation community.

Harrison Ford has earned a reputation as one of the world’s finest entertainers. More importantly, within the aviation community, he has demonstrated that his passion, dedication, and contributions have made him a pilot advocate extraordinaire.