Young Eagles May Pilot Update

I just received the following email regarding the Young Eagles program. I'm encouraged to read that more than 6,000 have successfully taken the Youth Protection training and background check. Go Young Eagles!
--------------

Total Young Eagles Flown: 1,975,145! As of May 19, 2016

http://pages.eaa.org/rs/910-SEU-073/...-olena-180.jpgInternational Young Eagles Day is June 11 Saturday June 11 is International Young Eagles Day. It’s the day we ask chapters and Young Eagles pilots to celebrate the program and introduce young people to aviation. Please consider flying on June 11th. Chapters should list their events on the EAA calendar of events. To order materials visit the volunteer resources area of the Young Eagles website. Brian O'Lena - Manager, Young Eagles and Eagle Flights

http://pages.eaa.org/rs/910-SEU-073/...arship-200.jpgWho Will Represent 2 Million Young Eagles at Oshkosh? EAA chapters and members can help find the right young person who will represent 2 million Young Eagles at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016! As we approach this historic milestone for the largest youth aviation education program ever created, one Young Eagle will be able to fulfill a dream of flight beginning at Oshkosh. Full story >>

http://pages.eaa.org/rs/910-SEU-073/..._rgb-200px.jpgDine With the Chairman at AirVenture To celebrate the 2 millionth Young Eagles flight in 2016, three lucky volunteer pilots and their guests will have the opportunity to sit with the past or current Young Eagles chairman during the Wednesday evening Young Eagles dinner at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016! Each pilot who flies at least 10 Young Eagles between January 1, 2016, and June 24, 2016, is automatically eligible. Learn more >>

http://pages.eaa.org/rs/910-SEU-073/...illion-200.jpgSean D. Tucker: Aiming for 2 Million Young Eagles! Young Eagles chairman Sean D. Tucker has started his air show season, and that means he's flying Young Eagles at every stop. As EAA approaches the remarkable 2 million Young Eagles milestone this summer, Sean has a message for everyone: Get involved! Watch video >>

http://pages.eaa.org/rs/910-SEU-073/...ilion2-200.jpgDiscover Aviation Center at AirVenture This year the Young Eagles and Eagle Flights programs will move across the street from our previous location to anchor the new Discover Aviation Center on the southwest corner of Knapp and Celebration Way. The new name of our venue better reflects what we are trying to accomplish with our Young Eagles and Eagle Flights programs, that is getting people involved in aviation. We will have information on how to volunteer and how to get a flight in our programs. In addition, we will be celebrating the 2 million Young Eagles milestone so stop by and check out our new Discover Aviation Center and watch for more information in upcoming editions of e-Hotline.

http://pages.eaa.org/rs/910-SEU-073/...Lightspeed.jpgPilots Win Lightspeed Headsets Two lucky Young Eagles pilots are the 2016 first quarter recipients of Lightspeed Zulu Headsets provided by our friends at Lightspeed Aviation. You are automatically entered when we receive the Young Eagles registration forms you mail in after each flight. The winners were selected by a random drawing and include: Oliver Coolidge, EAA 735628, from Portola Valley, California. Oliver is active in Chapter 20 and has flown Young Eagles for the past 5 years. Mike Mower, EAA 1036980, from Indian Trail, North Carolina. Mike has flown Young Eagle for the past 5 years with Chapter 731. Pilots who fly a Young Eagle between April 1 and June 30, 2016, will be in the next drawing.

EAA's Youth Protection Program Thank you to the more than 6,000 volunteers who have completed the EAA Youth Protection training. We sincerely appreciate your dedication and response as we fast approach a huge milestone - flying our 2 millionth Young Eagle. As a reminder, if you haven't yet completed EAA's online training and background check it is now a requirement before you can fly Young Eagles. We hope you will continue to participate in the Young Eagles program and take a few minutes to complete these steps. Find out more at the Youth Protection webpage.

http://pages.eaa.org/rs/910-SEU-073/...66logo-200.jpgFly Young Eagles, Get $1/Gallon Fuel Rebate Young Eagles presenting sponsor Phillips 66 provides EAA Young Eagles volunteer pilots with a $1/gallon rebate when they use the Phillips 66 Aviation Personal Credit Card to fill up for Young Eagles flights. For more details on the rebate, please visit the Phillips 66 website. Get more information on flying Young Eagles at EAA.org. If you have a story to share about EAA member benefits, please let us know.

Share Your Success Stories If you have success stories about your Young Eagles, we'd love to hear them! E-mail your stories (along with a photo) to yeagles@eaa.org or "like" us on Facebook and post them to our Young Eagles Facebook.

Mark,I think that pretty much everyone participating in the various YE/YPP threads got the same email. No need to re-post it here. In fact, I am surprised that Glory let it stand, as a matter of procedure. (Arguments for and against not being relevant.)When I read my email, I was very disappointed that it did not address recent changes or work to continue to fix problems. Everything is fine. Nothing to see here. Drink deep from the Kool-Aid.Honestly, every time I read the lemming argument in favor of the EAA YPP the more I am inclined to just wash my hands of it all.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mayhemxpc

)When I read my email, I was very disappointed that it did not address recent changes or work to continue to fix problems. Everything is fine. Nothing to see here. Drink deep from the Kool-Aid.

---

http://wonderopolis.org/wp-content/u.../03/1425_3.jpg BJC

6000 YEPs and YEVs?Glory- is there a tally of how many pilots and or volunteers we had last year?Ted

Ted, I guess you are not going to get an answer !!. I myself would be intersested to know how many pilots have signed up with the new program. They had previously stated they had about 5000 pilots last year. Hello anybody Home !!!!!!

It seems clear that pilots must be flocking to the EAA programs just so they can have their backgrounds checked. ;) Or maybe the quoted numbers aren't quite real.

-Cub Builder

Quote:

---

It seems clear that pilots must be flocking to the EAA programs just so they can have their backgrounds checked.

---

I already have a background check. If I make it payable to EAA I should be good, right?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by vaflier

Ted, I guess you are not going to get an answer !!. I myself would be intersested to know how many pilots have signed up with the new program. They had previously stated they had about 5000 pilots last year. Hello anybody Home !!!!!!

---

Still waiting 4 months for the answer to an email I sent to HQ about the program.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ssmdive

Still waiting 4 months for the answer to an email I sent to HQ about the program.

---

With everything that has been said and done over the past few months, it would be reasonable for you to send a new email and re-ask your question. If you feel pasonate about it, and there is nothing personal in it, you could copy it here so we can see what your are asking; otherwise, it probably should not be mentioned on this forum.


BJC

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Byron J. Covey

With everything that has been said and done over the past few months, it would be reasonable for you to send a new email and re-ask your question. If you feel pasonate about it, and there is nothing personal in it, you could copy it here so we can see what your are asking; otherwise, it probably should not be mentioned on this forum.


BJC

---

They claim to contact them if you have a question... I contacted them and they ignored it. So showing they are ignoring emails when they ask you to email them is very relevent to the conversation.

I say they ignored it since I sent it Jan 22nd and being almost Memorial Day now I have not gotten a reply.

But since you asked... Here ya go:
January 22, 2016 7:24PM
To: Feed Back <feedback@eaa.org>
Cc: Bret Steffen <bsteffen@eaa.org>, Janine Diana <jdiana@eaa.org>
Re: Young Eagles
My data has been stolen from:
1. The Office of Personnel Management (from a vendor)
2. My company (from a vendor)
3. My health care company

My wife's data has been stolen:
1. With my data from OPM
2. From a charity she worked for

Now, what is the EAA willing to do if my data is stolen from your vendor? You going to pay for my credit to be repaired? You going to handle the countless piles of paperwork and dealing with the credit bureaus? Is the EAA going to contact all the companies that think I owe them money and explain the situation?

Because if not, then I'll tell you that the chance you are going to get my SSN number is nothing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ssmdive

They claim to contact them if you have a question... I contacted them and they ignored it. So showing they are ignoring emails when they ask you to email them is very relevent to the conversation.

I say they ignored it since I sent it Jan 22nd and being almost Memorial Day now I have not gotten a reply.

But since you asked... Here ya go:
January 22, 2016 7:24PM
To: Feed Back <feedback@eaa.org>
Cc: Bret Steffen <bsteffen@eaa.org>, Janine Diana <jdiana@eaa.org>
Re: Young Eagles
My data has been stolen from:
1. The Office of Personnel Management (from a vendor)
2. My company (from a vendor)
3. My health care company

My wife's data has been stolen:
1. With my data from OPM
2. From a charity she worked for

Now, what is the EAA willing to do if my data is stolen from your vendor? You going to pay for my credit to be repaired? You going to handle the countless piles of paperwork and dealing with the credit bureaus? Is the EAA going to contact all the companies that think I owe them money and explain the situation?

Because if not, then I'll tell you that the chance you are going to get my SSN number is nothing.

---

Thanks for sharing.

I understand your concern, and I consider it to be a valid concern, but if I had received that email, I would have considered the questions as rethorical, and I would have ignored it.

Perhaps that was also the reaction of the EAA staffers.


BJC

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Byron J. Covey

Thanks for sharing.

I understand your concern, and I consider it to be a valid concern, but if I had received that email, I would have considered the questions as rethorical, and I would have ignored it.

Perhaps that was also the reaction of the EAA staffers.


BJC

---

I have asked in email, FaceBook, here, and somewhere else why I have not gotten a reply. If that is not enough of an indication I would like a response.... I don't know what to tell you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ssmdive

I have asked in email, FaceBook, here, and somewhere else why I have not gotten a reply. If that is not enough of an indication I would like a response.... I don't know what to tell you.

---

Ron - Have you checked your spam mailbox? I reached out to Bret and have a copy of the email that was sent in response to yours on January 21. Happy to forward to you again. Let me know.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TedK

6000 YEPs and YEVs?Glory- is there a tally of how many pilots and or volunteers we had last year?Ted

---

Ted - so sorry for the late response, I missed this reply. I am reaching out to get you an answer now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TedK

6000 YEPs and YEVs?Glory- is there a tally of how many pilots and or volunteers we had last year?Ted

---

To answer your question - We average at about 5800 pilots/coordinators each year.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Glory Aulik

To answer your question - We average at about 5800 pilots/coordinators each year.

---

That's great news, Glory. Sounds like the Youth Protection Program is a success, and Young Eagles is going strong.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mark van Wyk

That's great news, Glory. Sounds like the Youth Protection Program is a success, and Young Eagles is going strong.

---

And yet we already have reports of cancelled YE events......

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by deftone

And yet we already have reports of cancelled YE events......

---

While others are doing just fine, thank you very much.
For example:
http://eaaforums.org/showthread.php?...6-a-success!!!

Well, if there's a huge tailoff in YE participation, I don't expect that EAA will emphasize it.

Are previous years' numbers published (# of kids flown, # of EAA participants), that we could save and compare 2016 to?

There's also the "No such thing as bad publicity aspect," where folks who hadn't participated in a while got interested again.

Ron Wanttaja

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rwanttaja

Well, if there's a huge tailoff in YE participation, I don't expect that EAA will emphasize it.

Are previous years' numbers published (# of kids flown, # of EAA participants), that we could save and compare 2016 to?

There's also the "No such thing as bad publicity aspect," where folks who hadn't participated in a while got interested again.

Ron Wanttaja

---

There's also the "it is what it is" aspect. Specifically, the Youth Protection program is here to stay, and those that wish to participate will be background checked, and if that means numerically fewer YE operations this year, then that's just the way it is. But, EAA is not backing down from the YE requirement. I personally hope the numbers are the same or higher, but if they are not, so be it.

Mark, I was not aware that you were chosen by the EAA to speak for them. Love your " my way or the highway " attitude. Very helpful.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mark van Wyk

There's also the "it is what it is" aspect. Specifically, the Youth Protection program is here to stay, and those that wish to participate will be background checked, and if that means numerically fewer YE operations this year, then that's just the way it is. But, EAA is not backing down from the YE requirement. I personally hope the numbers are the same or higher, but if they are not, so be it.

---

EAA has demonstrated the same level of indifference to member opinion, I think.

By the way, you claimed that people opposed the YPP because they had a "grudge" against EAA. Could you please expand on what grudge you think I have?

Ron Wanttaja

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Glory Aulik

Ron - Have you checked your spam mailbox? I reached out to Bret and have a copy of the email that was sent in response to yours on January 21. Happy to forward to you again. Let me know.

---

Yes, weekly and have for years. Go ahead and FWD me that email.... If you have it, then you have my address.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by vaflier

Mark, I was not aware that you were chosen by the EAA to speak for them. Love your " my way or the highway " attitude. Very helpful.

---

Same attitude the EAA seems to have taken. I too am interested in how Mark has such a vested interest in supporting the EAA. Is he on the payroll? Was he one of the people who "approved" the program and now is upset that people disagree with it/him?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ssmdive

Same attitude the EAA seems to have taken. I too am interested in how Mark has such a vested interest in supporting the EAA. Is he on the payroll?

---

I'm sure he isn't. Mark has a different opinion than some of us, with perhaps less suspicion of the evils of the online world than some of us have. That doesn't make him a shill or in any way responsible to or beholden to EAA.

I'm sure his opinion is sincere, and his own. If the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all his close relatives, his medical history, and copies of his fingerprints were in a file folder in Beijing like me and the rest of the victims of the OPM breech, his opinion might be different. But, frankly, I feel less at risk from the Chinese Ministry of State Security than from the for-profit data collectors like the outfit EAA hired.

Ron Wanttaja

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rwanttaja

Are previous years' numbers published (# of kids flown, # of EAA participants), that we could save and compare 2016 to?Ron Wanttaja

---

I do know that for years the annual benchmark was set at 100,000 per year and more than 150,000 Young Eagles were flown in 2003.EAA announced the 1.9 million Young Eagle in December 2014. The counter says 1,977,003 by May 31, 2016. So, a run rate in the low 50 thousands.Quite a decline. Don't know how much the new policy has contributed, but it cannot have helped. Gas price is at a historically low level so that can't be blamed.I can see now why EAA has been pushing participation unusually hard: they are starting to sweat making the 2 million number by Oshkosh. International Young Eagles Day will spike the numbers but 23,000 in less than two months, it will be tight.

The back and forth (mostly from one against mostly the rest on this forum) reminds me of an observation on society by Robert Heinlein. Forgive me for sharing it with you:

"The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire. The former are idealists acting from the highest motives for the greatest good of the greatest number. The latter are surly curmudgeons, suspicious and lacking in altruism. But they are more comfortable neighbors than the other sort."

I have no doubt that those promoting the YPP program are idealists with high motives. Count me, however, among the surly curmudgeons.

One more comment for the idealists. The issue -- as far as I can tell -- has not been whether there should be a program and especially whether training might not be appropriate. The push back has been about particular elements of the program and how it has been promoted. It is much less of a disaster than it was but is still has some way to go.I will keep pushing until the program is fixed or I reach the point where I say I have done all I can and walk away.

One day, a bunch of years ago, a group of local town politicians got together for a meeting to discuss various ways they could protect their town and keep it clean. One of them got the bright idea that it ought to be illegal for an elephant to take a dump on Main Street. With unanimous approval they created and passed what became known as the "Elephant Anti-Defecation Law." Among other things, this law called for an express prohibition against an elephant taking a crap on Main Street.

Years went by, and the politicians once again found themselves at another meeting, part of which was dedicated to reviewing the effectiveness of laws currently on the books. In going down their list, they came upon the "Elephant Anti-Defecation Law," and the group immediately started clapping each other on their backs for creating such an effective law. To prove it, several members remarked that indeed not one single elephant had taken a crap on Main Street since that law was passed. With tremendous approval, the law was voted to remain.

'Course, no elephant had ever set foot on Main Street. Ever. . .

The YPP remains insulting, unnecessary, and - like the "Elephant Anti-Defecation Law" - a solution in search of a problem. There is no 'fixing it.' Only its elimination will suffice.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Glory Aulik

Ron - Have you checked your spam mailbox? I reached out to Bret and have a copy of the email that was sent in response to yours on January 21. Happy to forward to you again. Let me know.

---

It should be noted to the peanut gallery that the email she is referring to was an email in reply to an email I sent. The email that STILL has not be replied to (the one I have posted in this thread) was sent as a reply to the email she claimed to have.

So to recap:
I sent an email on Jan 21 at 6:49PM
EAA replied on Jan 22 at 3:04PM
I replied with the email posted in this thread on Jan 22 at 7:24PM

To date, I have never received a reply to the email from 1/22 at 7:24PM