Young Eagles Welcomes You!

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Upcoming Young Eagles Rally



Marcus Ogle flew two Young Eagles on July 4, 2011 at Twin County Airport. They were Jonathan Dauch and Cara Dauch.





Click on the link below to view the pictures of the Open House at Twin County Airport on Saturday, September 25, 2010

Twin County Airport Open House











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Tate Haga, Emily Gile Aviation Scholarship Winner Speaks to the Chapter

February 12, 2010 Meeting Minutes
Substitute Secretary, Shirley Steele

In attendance: Bob Steele, Gary Craig, Ina Jacobs, Scott Thomas, Nancy Beasley, Marcus Ogle, Shirley Steele; Visitors were Daniel Andrews and the Hagas, father and son, Tate Haga, guest speaker.

President Bob Steele thanked attendees for the food and Sharyl for the newsletter.
Tate Haga gave a very interesting and enthusiastic speech about his experience at the Aviation Challenge in Huntsville.

Nancy Beasley gave the finance report—scholarship fund has $2,275 .19; regular checking, $354.52; $100 check written to pay the hangar rent; $35 in petty cash; $500 on hand to deposit from Bob's ground school donation.

Bob was going to check with EAA about EAA points to apply towards the air academy. (He has since learned that the chapter will receive $5 for each Young Eagle flown in 2009.)

Fly-In update — No report

Events will be posted on the EAA, AOPA websites and the state of VA—Bob has the form to send to VA.

Pancake cooker report by Scott Thomas: Jake Jacobs found a source of metal cheaper than previous ones--$200 – $300 range. He is checking with the health dept about possible problems with a thinner cooking surface. Scott checked with his brother about thin metal. They will figure out the drive axle in a week or two. The first Breakfast Fly-In will be on the 15th of April—second Sat. in April.

Woodlawn Enrichment Program: Gary Craig gave a report on the Young Eagles Woodlawn Enrichment Project with Woodlawn School. This will include after school sessions on Monday and Tuesday for six weeks of learning about aviation and will include a field trip to the airport. Classes are from 3:30 - 5:30 at the school. Class topics will include simulators, Styrofoam airplane building, and introduction to aviation, competitions, etc. with approximately 30 kids. Shirley suggested that they ask the school for a donation to EAA since the instructors are donating a lot of time for this program and the school received a grant and obviously has money to spend.

The date for the Open House/Fly-In has been set for September 25. The name has been changed to Air Show. So the Fall Young Eagles Rally date was moved to October 2. Gary suggested rain dates and Scott suggested just moving it to Sunday. Gary suggested starting at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday if the rain date was needed.

Discussion of condo raffle: Ina gave a report on the developments--the committee had waited to learn the date of the Open House before printing tickets. There will be a spring drawing and one in the fall. A suggestion has been made to partner with other groups so the committee is in the process of finding other groups that might want to do that. They would receive half of the money for the tickets they sell. School organizations, Women's Club, and Retired Teachers were mentioned. The condos would be available during the month of May through the second week in June and from September - November. Tickets will cost $2.00. Gary suggested we approach the members of the Chamber of Commerce about selling tickets, too, including non-profit organizations that are members.

Scholarship Program: Scott gave a report. He has visited all the schools in the area and either talked to principals or the guidance counselors. March 31 is the deadline for receiving applications. This year the winners will be sent to the Air Academy at Oshkosh, WI. There options are ages 16-18 (advanced) held July 20 - 28 and July 30 - Aug. 7. Ages 14 - 15 dates are June 26 - July 1; July 5 - 10; July 12 - 17. EAA Chapters get discounts on the cost. Scott will get news releases to the papers and had flyers to post in the community.

Museum Trip to DC: Scott reported that the date is March 20 - 21 with Sunshine Tours on a 51 seat bus. There will be a pickup in Hillsville and would be on the mall in DC by lunch time. The group would go to the Air and Space Museum. The bus would take the group to the Hyatt Hotel in Sterling for the night. Cost of the room is $70 plus tax. The hotel provides breakfast and is located five minutes from Dulles. He said the group would spend six or seven hours at the Udvar-Hazy Museum at Dulles and then travel home Sunday night. He had the flyers ready for distribution for this trip and it will be open to the community. The cost of the bus would be $2100 round trip. If the bus is filled, each seat will be $42.00; $84 per seat if only 1/2 full. The contract has to be signed by March 4.



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Scholarship winner Damascus Thomas Speaks to the Chapter


Chapter 1426 News
Damascus Thomas Speaks at EAA Meeting

EAA Chapter 1426 met at the TCA Hangar on Thursday, January 14, 2010. Guests included Damascus Thomas and his family. Damascus was one of the students who received the scholarship last summer to attend NASA's Aviation Challenge in Huntsville, Alabama. Damascus gave a PowerPoint presentation telling what he learned from the experience. He told the group that he thought he was annoying when he returned home because that is all he talked about--his trip to Aviation Challenge. His future goals are to get a pilot's license and go into the Air Force. This is what EAA is all about, motivating youth to aim for the skies!

Plans were made for the events of the coming year. Tentative dates for Young Eagles Rallies are May 1 and Sept. 25. Special groups will be flown during the summer as the requests come in, based on pilot availability and weather. Breakfast Fly-In's/Community Drive-in's will start April 10 and continue every second Saturday in each month through October.

Chapter Officers for 2010 are:
President, Bob Steele
Vice President, Sam Ayers
Secretary, Mimi Thomas
Treasurer, Nancy Beasley
Newsletter Editor, Sharyl Walker
Publicity, Shirley Steele
Young Eagles Coordinator, Gary Craig
Scholarship Committee Chairman, Scott Thomas
Fly-In Committee Chairman Brian Sutphin
Fund raising Chairwoman, Ina Jacobs
Directors are Bill Bryant, Jake Jacobs, and Scott Thomas

The next meeting will be Thursday, February 11 at the TCA Hangar at
7:00.







Caroline Musser Speaks to Chapter



On September 10, 2009, Caroline Musser gave a PowerPoint presentation about her trip to the Air Academy. Caroline is the granddaughter of Emily Metz Gile. The chapter sent Caroline to the Air Academy at Oshkosh this summer. The chapter members extend appreciation to Caroline and her family for a job well done.

Pictues are posted below so scroll down to view them at the bottom of this page.







EAA CHAPTER 1426 AVIATION SCHOLARSHIP


EAA Chapter Selects Two Students for the 3rd Annual Aviation Camp Scholarship in 2009. They are Damaskas Thomas and Tate Haga. Damaskas is a student at Woodlawn School and lives in Fries. Tate is a student at Galax Middle School and lives in Galax.

The chapter is also sending the granddaughter of Emily Gile, Caroline Musser, to the Air Academy at Oshkosh for one week this summer. It was Mrs. Gile’s dream to take Caroline there this summer but she passed away in November of 2008. Thus, the chapter is making sure that Mrs. Gile’s dream is fulfilled. This has been made possible by the points received because of the generous pilots who have flown Young Eagles in 2008 from Chapter 1426.

One of the chief purposes of the Twin County Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 1426 is to foster the love of aviation in young people. We do this by treating children (8-17) to flights at our Young Eagles rallies, helping plan local air shows, speaking in local schools during career days, and working with the local airport to find ways to involve the community, particularly children.

This scholarship is being awarded in memory of Emily Gile. Emily Gile was a World War II Woman’s Air Service Pilot (WASP) and she always had a keen interest in making aviation available to children. As a result, a young boy or girl (ages 12-17) will experience a week long aviation camp during the summer of 2009. This week would be a wonderful experience for any child who has a significant interest in any aspect of aviation.

The scholarship will be awarded to attend the Aviation Challenge camp in Huntsville, Alabama. The Chapter is committed to working with the family of the successful applicant to address any financial or travel problems to enable the applicant to attend the camp. You can learn more about the aviation camp at http://www.spacecamp.com (Look under Aviation Challenge.)





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Martha Emily Metz Gile, World War II Air Force Service Pilot

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In Memory of Martha Emily Metz Gile


Martha Emily Metz Gile took her last flight on November 18, 2008.

Born to Fred Christian Metz and Martha Julia Fritz Metz on March 4, 1925. she was an aviator and native of Miami, Florida. Emily served with the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II, class of 44-W-8.

Emily Gile’s childhood and adolescence in Miami, Florida and her family's business in cows, chickens and turkeys during the Great Depression when her father was unable to find work in accounting.

Determined to become a WASP, Gile was initially turned away because of her age, but earned her private license while working at the Army Air Corp base .On the day she turned eighteen and a half she hopped a military flight bound to Washington DC and was escorted to be interviewed at the Pentagon with Jacqueline Cochran who admitted her into the program. Gile completed her training at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas graduating Oct 18th 1944. She was then stationed at Greenwood, Mississippi and ferried planes to different bases and tested repaired planes before they were returned to service.

The WASP were deactivated in December of 1944. Emily Metz Gile then married and served in the Air Force Reserves until she became pregnant with her son. She then attended Concordia River Forest College to become a teacher for elementary children in parochial schools. Then Gile received her Masters in reading education at Appalachian State University.

Gile then moved Hillsville, Va. to be a reading specialist for Carroll County Schools. After her retirement from teaching, she volunteered in so many ways. She was involved with many organizations including the American Association for Retired Persons serving as chairman for the retired teachers for years. Emily Gile was also a member of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, Carroll County Retired Teachers, American Legion and the American Cancer Society, serving as relay captain for many years.

She also believed that the children of Carroll Co. needed the opportunity to experience flight so she began the Young Eagles’ Program local EAA chapter.

Emily Gile leaves her two children one son Emory Bearden of Hillsville, Va. one daughter and son in law Larry and Martha Musser and her three grandchildren Elizabeth, Caroline, and Sarah Musser of Winston-Salem, NC.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 22, 2008, at Vaughan-Guynn-McGrady Chapel at 2:00 PM with Marva Sandburg officiating. Military Rites will be conducted by the Hillsville V.F.W. Post 1115. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Friday, November 21, 2008 from 6:00 until 8:00 PM. Burial will be in Quantico National Cemetery on Friday, November 28, 2008 at 2:00 PM. Donations may be made to W.A.S.P. Women Endowment Fund T.W.U. P.O. Box 425528 Denton, TX 76204 or the local EAA Chapter Young Eagles Program c/o Shirley Steele 681 Mt. Zion Road Woodlawn, VA 24381.


Her spirit will live on as Twin County Chapter 1426 of the Experimental Aircraft Association and the Young Eagles organization try to fulfill Emily's dream of promoting aviation by offering free airplane rides to children and sending needy kids to aviation camp in her memory.

The organization extends deep sympathy to the family.
























YOUNG EAGLES PROGRAM GENERAL FACTS

Background:

In 1991, a survey of long-time Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) members was conducted to help determine the organization's future priorities. Nearly 92 percent said EAA's primary objective should be to involve more young people in aviation. The survey also showed that a flight experience helped guide the respondents toward aviation. On May 13, 1992, following several months of coordination by members of the EAA Board of Directors, EAA management, staff and volunteers, the Young Eagles Program was announced at a Washington, D.C., news conference.


Mission:

The mission of the Young Eagles Program is to provide a meaningful flight experience - free of charge - in a general aviation aircraft for young people(primarily between the ages of 8 and 17). Flights are provided through the generous volunteer efforts of EAA members world wide.


First Flights:

The program took flight during the 1992 EAA Fly-In Convention in Oshkosh, Wis. EAA President Tom Poberemy and Academy Award winning actor and pilot Cliff Robertson flew the first Young Eagles on July 31, 1992. In addition, Robertson served as the program's first Honorary Chairman. Between 1994 and 2004, General Gen. Chuck Yeager, the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound, served as Chairman. On March 8, 2004, pilot and actor Harrison Ford was named as Yeager's successor as Chairman. Ford is an EAA member and has already flown nearly 200 Young Eagles. Gen. Yeager remains involved in the Young Eagles program as Chairman Emeritus.

Status:

The initial goal of the program was to fly I million children in time for the l00th anniversary of flight celebration (Dec. 17, 2003). The 1 million Young Eagle mark was achieved on November 13, 2003. Currently, more than 1.3 million Young Eagles have been registered. An on-going annual of goal of introducing 100,000 children to the Young Eagles experience has now been established

Pilots:

More than 40,000 EAA member pilots have participated in the program. Pilots volunteer their time and aircraft to make the flights possible. In addition, countless thousands of other volunteers and supporters assist the program in a variety of roles.


Information:

For more information on the EAA Young Eagles Program contact the Young Eagles Office
P.O. Box 2683
Oshkosh, WI 54903-2683
FAX (920)-426-6560
E-mail at yeagles@eaa.org
Call toll free 877-806-8902
(920) 426-4831.

Young Eagles information is also available at www.youngeagles.org

The Local Contacts are Bob and Shirley Steele at (276) 728-7100

An Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter has been formed for the Twin counties. It is the Twin County EAA Chapter 1426 Incorporated. Click on the menu selection to view the website for the Chapter.








This is What It Is All About!!!

Look at the smile on this new Young Eagle's face--the joy of flying! Alyssa was flown by Chapter 1426 Pilot, Scott Thomas on June 13, 2009.

Two other Young Eagles were flown at the Fly/Drive In event held at Twin County Airport: Scottie and Sterling Marshall. (not pictured)
Alyssa






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Caroline Musser Speaks to Chapter

On September 10, 2009, Caroline Musser gave a PowerPoint presentation about her trip to the Air Academy. Caroline is the granddaughter of Emily Metz Gile. The chapter sent Caroline to the Air Academy at Oshkosh this summer. The chapter members extend appreciation to Caroline and her family for a job well done.

Pictues are posted of the meeting.
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