“We’re asking every pilot and aviation enthusiast to introduce someone new to aviation on Learn To Fly Day,” EAA’s Ron Wagner told AVweb at Sun ‘n Fun this week. “It’s coming up soon … May 15 … and pilots around the country are making plans to participate.” Participation can be as simple as inviting a friend or neighbor to visit the airport or go for a flight, or as robust as planning a weekend-long community festival, as one group in Louisiana is doing, Wagner said. “This is not just an EAA initiative,” he added. “It’s aviation-wide.” There are so many barriers to discovering the world of flight today, from fences to finances to fear of the unknown, Wagner said. “If each of us just got one person interested, the aviation community would double.”
The Web site at learntofly.org offers info both for pilots who may want to host an event, and for the curious who may be looking for an event near them. International Learn to Fly Day was announced at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009 by the leaders of EAA, AOPA, Remos Aircraft, the National Association of Flight Instructors, and others.
