Sure, Black Panther has surpassed $1 billion at the box office since its recent release. And you probably know that the Marvel Comics’ franchise, The Avengers, is wildly popular with audiences worldwide.
But did you know that aviation has its own superhero? Aviore was gifted to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) by the Stan Lee Foundation (yes, THAT Stan Lee of Marvel fame). Aviore’s mission is to promote The Spirit of Aviation and the EAA’s Young Eagles program.
Aviore was introduced at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017 with a visit from Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee when EAA celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Young Eagles program, the world’s most successful aviation youth outreach initiative. The Young Eagles program has given more than 2 million youngsters their first flight in a GA aircraft, with the help of 50,000 pilots and 50,000 ground volunteers.
“We cannot express deeply enough our appreciation to Stan Lee and the Stan Lee Foundation for their support of Young Eagles,” says EAA CEO and Chairman Jack J. Pelton. “With their commitment, we will bring Young Eagles even more visibility and participation in the next quarter-century.”
“It’s very important that we get young people more interested in aviation,” says Stan Lee. “One of the problems is, it doesn’t seem as exciting or glamorous to them today because it’s all jet planes, and they have the notion the pilot gets in the cockpit, sits down, presses a button, and goes to sleep while the plane does the work. We’ve got to find a way to let young people know that there’s something very heroic and glamorous about flight, and it’s not as easy as it looks.”
So…who is Aviore?
Jake Peregrine Howard — Perry to his friends — is a young high school student living on a farm just outside of Wichita, Kansas, who’s infatuated with the eagles and hawks he’s seen soaring in the skies above him. Then, a Young Eagles flight at the local airport — his first time in the air — changes his life forever.
The event triggers a powerful transformation of both mind and body, as his senses became more acute and his mind sharpens. Perry becomes a superhero, dedicating his life to using the power of flight to help those in need.
As Aviore’s legend grows in tandem with his burgeoning superpowers, he becomes an inspiration to young people all over the world, encouraging them to follow their passions and find their place in the sky.