By JOE MANOOKIN

A local man spoke of keeping the spirit of exploration alive with America’s youth amid the roar of airplane engines Monday at the launch of a program that will bring flight to teens.

Jared Aicher will fly across the nation this summer as part of phase one of a project called The Eagle Flight.

“Many children’s dreams of flight are never realized due to the high costs of operating an aircraft or a lack of local resources to spark an interest in aviation,” Aicher said in a news release. “The goal of The Eagle Flight is to help children around the world realize their dreams of flight, get them into the cockpit, and register each on as a Young Eagle member.”

Aicher spoke at a small ceremony in May at the Provo Airport to kick off his journey which began May 28. He said the purpose of the program was to inspire young people to continue the American legacy of firsts in aviation and space exploration. He also received a check for $10,000 from Ron Smart, the director of aviation science at Utah Valley State College.

The money will help fund The Eagle Flight as Aicher visits 48 states in a little more than a month, stopping in almost 60 cities. He will visit three states a day, stopping to give high school students the chance to experience flight in the small, single-engine airplane he will be piloting.

“It’s great,” said Heather Baum, Aicher’s cousin. “It’s a wonderful thing he’s doing.”

Aicher’s travels will keep him in the air six or seven hours a day and could include part of the Caribbean, weather permitting. Phase two of the project will begin next summer, when Aicher will fly solo around the world taking his message to a global audience.



Copyright Brigham Young University 8 Jun 2005