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Thread: Young Eagles/Eagles and Let’s do the numbers

  1. #1
    Jim Heffelfinger's Avatar
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    Young Eagles/Eagles and Let’s do the numbers

    Young Eagles/Eagles and Let’s do the numbers

    Recent article in EAA news story. 20 years of YE
    Sporty’s on-line training hits 15,000

    Last year’s data harvest has 20,000 former Young Eagles have become pilots (or is it FAA certified in some area - including pilots?)

    Let’s look at the numbers for return on investment
    1.7 million YE – 20,000 pilots = 1.18% - after 20 years
    1.7 million YE - 15,000 Continued education after 3 years of the program
    Extrapolating that to 20 years it comes to 5.8% ( check my math please I assumed linear growth- which we know did not happen) Actually finding out the number of YE flights in the last 3 years is a better measure of n.

    Fast forward to the Eagles program. These are fast growing seeds with an ROI in less than 5 years. I am going to make a projection – 23% in the first 10 years pass their check ride. *

    IMHO this is the segment we (national and chapter) should have been chasing all along - they will bring YEs with them as the family gets involved. Eagles have the money to support the engagement unlike YE. Again IMHO the programs needed to be rolled out together and operated together. But it’s easy to sell “it’s for the children – our future” and harder to say we are going to give adults their first small plane ride – not the same emotional connect.

    Lets face it, youth are trying on all kinds of things that commonly do not turn into a major life direction - it’s their job to try on things. So, YE flight is a great experience for them and a great experience for the chapters/pilots but filling the chapter ranks or pilot populations it’s not a good ROI. But it does feel good.

    *If bolstering the pilot population is the goal, a better ROI is to understand and help get the drop out student pilots over their hurtles. Here are people who have invested time and considerable money to start the flight experience. They are WAY beyond the intro flight stage. What’s keeping them from certification? That is a discussion for another thread.

    My concern for the Eagle programs is the slide of active chapter members toward inactivity. Many have lost their medicals or aircraft. Chapters are having a hard time replacing them.
    My Chapter used to have a very active program but now with few pilots willing to participate it has faltered. There are some collaborative chapter efforts but not as many as there could be.

    Something I would like to see: a graph of the number of YE flights per year over the 20 years. I am going to guess it is on a down slide. Starting 2005?

  2. #2
    Eric Witherspoon's Avatar
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    Here's another thread you might want to take a look at. Computer just ate my post, and I can't remember what all I had to say - but 1 big point of the other thread is the YE's original purpose was simply exposure to GA - the idea of generating more pilots may be a more recent development. As such, looking back through many years may not be all that useful.

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  3. #3
    Jim Heffelfinger's Avatar
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    Thread sited on the old 365 was one I started as well.
    Has the mission changed?
    I have not seen it in print and only infer from content.

  4. #4
    Jim,

    Here are some snippets from S.A. articles when the program was first announced:

    September 92
    "The essence of the Young Eagles program is the one-on-one interaction between the pilot as mentor and the attentive Young Eagle Flight member."

    March 1992 Homebuilder’s Corner-Tom P
    "The goal is simple - to provide these young people with a meaningful flight experience…"

    "It's a chance for you to bring kids to the airport . . . to see aviation first hand. This will be a first step toward tearing down some of the barriers that have grown up around airports."

    "I am sure we all remember one of our early airplane rides or the pilot who took us "under his wing" and cultivated our interest in airplanes. Hopefully, there will be hundreds of thousands of young people who will feel the same way after you have shared flying with them."

    May, 1992 SA from Greg Anderson, EAA Aviation Foundation announcing program
    "Not all Eagle Flight members will pursue careers in aviation. All, however, will gain new understanding of their individual potential and new appreciation for attributes of discipline, judgment and high standards which apply to all walks of life."

    ".. The basic goal, however, is simply allowing them to experience flight."



    I've been a Young Eagles coordinator for the last eight years I understand what you're trying to get at here, though. I do sometimes feel like we're in some race to post numbers, and we lose sight that it's that it's the one-on-one flight experience that's the focus of the program, as noted above. Also, even though Young Eagles-to-pilot "conversions" provide one good metric that's not the only positive (or maybe even the most important) outcome.

    Appreciate the discussion-thanks for pushing it.

    Ken

  5. #5
    Glad to see this discussion going on!

    The Eagle Flights have started...several have been submitted! We have received over 250 requests for Eagle Flight registration forms and information to date! More pouring in daily...thank you for the support.

    Eagle Flights is more of a one on one experience. We are wanting quality over quantity. Pre-qualify the Eagle Participant...do they have an interest in learning how to fly. This is not a flight to be given to a parent/guardian at a Young Eagle Rally, so they can see their house from the air.

    It has been proven time and time again, that our ROI on an adult is much faster. Between the ages of 35 and 50...they get the introduction to flight...they get lessons...they purchase or build an aircraft, etc.

    We are also hoping that the Chapters view the Eagle Flight Program as a recruiting tool....we recommend that the Eagle Flight Particpant Join the Chapter....the chapter will provide advice and support on where to get flight training...support them thru the training...and be a place to get absorbed in all things aviation!

    If you have any questions about the Eagle Flights Program feel free to email me directly at tjanz@eaa.org

    Thank you again for discussing this new program and for your support!

    TRevor

  6. #6
    Jim Heffelfinger's Avatar
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    Trevor, Thanks for your input on the Eagles .... clearly more ROI toward direct aviation activity.
    I wonder how well it’s being received at the chapter level as my chapter has had some heart burn about adults ....seems biased toward smiling little faces. v. literally tomorrow’s new member. [Which we desperately need.]. As I have mentioned the number of active pilots have plummeted here and I am pretty sure throughout EAA. Getting the Eagles flying could be a challenge. Recruitment is a problem – but that’s another thread.

    Since the go-for-a-ride YE program now has a pathway and intent toward more structured involvement for the youth, perhaps now would be a good time to have a more defined mission statement for the two programs. I am assuming two differing ones

    I asked the ROI question about the time that Hal and company were also challenged with the job internally. At leadership last year I was remembered as asking the question that they had just come up with. Great minds and all.

    I have a thread on an extension of the YE program ( kicking the pet) that has had lots of reads but only one comment. That leaves me to speculate on the reception. Either it’s a taboo topic or no one knows.

  7. #7
    Jim Heffelfinger's Avatar
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    I am going to guess most chapters who fly Young Eagles do not maintain any connection with the youth after the flight or more importantly their parents. So it remains in many ways, as it was 20 years ago - a plane ride and a photo op and not the recruitment/mentor tool it could be.

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