Young Eagles Updates From HQ

Fall in Wisconsin is what I consider peak flying season. The days are still plenty long, the air is a bit smoother, and views from 2,000 feet become even more picturesque!

Although I am saddened to see the long days of summer and the energy of EAA AirVenture slipping behind us, now is a great time to remember that we still have plenty of peak Young Eagles flying months in front of us! No matter what your latitude/longitude might be, somewhere in September, October, and November there is some prime Young Eagles flying weather.

The first half of 2025 was plagued with poor flying weather. In June alone, more than 25 percent of Young Eagles rallies were canceled, with May not far behind. However, now is a great opportunity to make up for those lost flight opportunities and continue inspiring the next generation.

A major theme throughout the fall will be the continued development of the Young Eagles online registration tool. As you’ll read about in the newsletter, we recently completed phase 3 and are now focusing on phase 4. This phase will likely be the final major development phase of this project, as we will transition into more minor changes and break/fix updates. Within phase 4 there will be a number of highly requested features, as well as the addition of new event types such as Young Eagles Build and Fly, Young Eagles Workshops, generic chapter youth events, and Flying Start.

Another key theme that you’ll hear about this fall and into 2026 is Mission 2.5. The Young Eagles program is on the precipice of reaching another major milestone — 2.5 million Young Eagles flown. EAA’s challenge is to reach 2.5 million Young Eagles by EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026. Mission 2.5 will run October 1, 2025, through July 31, 2026. More details will be found in the September newsletter, and keep your eyes peeled for additional special announcements.

Thank you for taking the time to check out the September Young Eagles volunteer newsletter, and thank you for continuing to make Young Eagles the world’s greatest youth aviation program!

Tailwinds,

David Leiting, EAA Lifetime 579157

Eagles Program Manager