• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
General Aviation News

General Aviation News

Because flying is cool

  • Pictures of the Day
    • Submit Picture of the Day
  • Stories
    • News
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Products
    • NTSB Accidents
    • ASRS Reports
  • Comments
  • Classifieds
    • Place Classified Ad
  • Events
  • Print Archives
  • Subscribe
  • Show Search
Hide Search

EAA introduces Young Eagles Connect

By General Aviation News Staff · August 31, 2025 · Leave a Comment

EAA Chapter 534 pilot Rick Rademacher in Leesburg, Florida, gets ready for takeoff in his Piper Cub with Young Eagle Emily Lininger. (Photo by Ted Luebbers)

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — Young people who are pursuing an interest in flight through the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles program now have additional free support as they learn, thanks to the new Young Eagles Connect portal that connects them with mentors who can offer encouragement and guidance.

The support is available to all EAA Young Eagles who enroll in the free Sporty’s Learn-To-Fly Course that is available to all youth who complete a Young Eagles flight. It allows students to share their course progress with a mentor, such as their Young Eagles pilot or an EAA chapter member, so mentors can follow the young person’s training journey.

“The goal of Young Eagles Connect is to have aspiring aviators stay connected, stay inspired, and stay on course,” said David Leiting, EAA Eagles Program Manager. “This connection is an added benefit to Young Eagles who look to discover more through EAA’s programs that are available to follow their initial Young Eagles flight.”

Mentors also can view video progress and FAA practice test results through Sporty’s CFI Portal. If the mentor is a CFI, they can create a free account at Sportys.com/CFI and will receive automatic access. Those who are not CFIs but want to mentor Young Eagles and track their progress can contact with the Young Eagles office at [email protected] to request access to Sporty’s CFI Portal.

The EAA Young Eagles Program has given more than 2.4 million free flights since the program’s launch in July 1992. It is the foundation of a suite of EAA youth aviation education programs, ranging from online and EAA chapter-based activities, to the EAA Air Academy summer residence camp and activities associated with the annual EAA AirVenture Oshkosh fly-in convention.

For more information: EAA.org

Reader Interactions

Share this story

  • Share on Twitter Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook Share on Facebook
  • Share on LinkedIn Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit Share on Reddit
  • Share via Email Share via Email

Become a better informed pilot.

Join 110,000 readers each month and get the latest news and entertainment from the world of general aviation direct to your inbox, daily.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Curious to know what fellow pilots think on random stories on the General Aviation News website? Click on our Recent Comments page to find out. Read our Comment Policy here.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

© 2026 Flyer Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Comment Policy
  • Submit Press Release
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Writer’s Guidelines
  • Photographer’s Guidelines