Disclaimer: I am not a junior. But I am the Youth Program Director at Hood River Soaring, and my 16-year-old son is a junior glider pilot that is also a Young Eagles volunteer pilot.
Did you know that the EAA Eagles and Young Eagles program pilots qualify by rating, not by age? This means that glider-licensed juniors can volunteer to be pilots for Eagles and Young Eagles glider rides as early as age 16! And the qualifications are relatively simple:
1. Be an EAA member. If you take a Young Eagles (power) ride as passenger yourself, you will receive a packet of information that includes the information on how to become an EAA youth member for free.
2. Have the appropriate rating which, in our context, is Private Pilot Glider that you can get as early as age 16.
3. Apply to the EAA to be a volunteer Young Eagles pilot.
4. Do the EAA’s short online Youth Protection training course.
5. Provide the required letter of reference. The EAA informed us that they cannot do background checks on minors as they require for adults, so they just asked for a letter of reference.
Once approved, order the free packets from the EAA that you provide to Young Eagles passengers. This includes the waiver to be signed by the passenger’s parent/guardian and the information on how your passenger can also become an EAA youth member.
You can also do Eagles rides in which you are the pilot for an adult passenger.
We have found this to be a unique early way to be an ambassador for soaring and the SSA as well as to help promote inter-organization activity and good will.
