Michael Dorobilala, a student at Robert Morris, thought his time in a plane flying over Genesee County today was "awesome."
The best part?
"Going down because it gives you a swoosh of excitement and you’re like tingly."
Michael was one of 60 kids to show up at the Genesee County Airport today to get a first-hand experience flying a small airplane. The Young Eagles event was sponsored by Experimental Aircraft Association chapters out of Buffalo and Rochester.
The EAA has been running the Young Eagles worldwide since 1992, when the idea was launched with the goal of getting one million children at the throttles of a small plane by the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' first flight. To date, more than 1.6 million kids from 90 countries have been through the program.
Rochester Chapter President Norm Isler said the EAA wants to not only expose kids to aviation, but to show them a practical use for math and science.
Pilot Mary "Willie" Mattocks said, to her, being able to fly is a privilege, so a program like Young Eagles is a chance to give back.
The flight is more than a tag-along ride. The children actually are given a chance to fly the plane.
"It's a fantastic event for children," said Mattocks, who owns her own Piper Cherokee and has been flying for 20 years. "It gives them an introduction to flying and I think it stays with them for the rest of their lives. They get just such a lot of pleasure out of it."
As for Mattock's assessment of Michael, she wrote in his log book, "Michael will be an awesome pilot. Keep going with the math and science. Straight and level at 2,500 feet. Executed turn at Darien Lake."
