Angels Of Aviation
By John M. Allen

There are lots of folks out there who are doing great things for aviation. We here in Washington get paid to work hard to "enable the adventure and commerce of aviation without the compromise of safety". Many folks get nice awards for their contributions to aviation. However, there are also thousands of unsung heroes out there who humbly give of their own time and expense to enhance the future of aviation. I was unexpectedly and significantly moved by the work of some of these "Angels of Aviation" when I had the opportunity to visit, with my brother and parents, in their original hometown of Cynthiana, KY.

My parents were born and raised in Cynthiana (pop. @6,000) and I lived there with my family through my elementary school years in the 60s. Cynthiana is a small farming town about 32 miles Northeast of Lexington. While visiting there, I was reacquainted with a cousin of mine, Bobby Craft, who I hadn't seen in over 20 years. While visiting, and searching for a common interest, our conversation turned to flying. I was reminded that Bobby is the part-time, volunteer manager of the local community airport. It is a small airport nestled in a bend of the Licking River, bordered by the railroad tracks and the "poor farm", with a 3,800' runway and a few hangars. During our conversation, I mentioned Young Eagles and he lit up. The Young Eagles program is a program run by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), where volunteers take kids up for a ride in an aircraft they rent or own. Over a million kids have received a ride, thanks to the Young Eagles Program. In fact, my sons got their first aircraft (one in a helicopter, the other in a Cessna 172) ride through the Young Eagles program when I was the aviation merit badge counselor of their Boy Scout troop. Just as we began to talk about Young Eagles, Bobby’s wife, Jeana, ran to their car and brought back a CD that includes a video showcasing the volunteers and kids they introduce to flying via their Young Eagles events (some of the pictures are included in the PDF versions of this article available on FAASafety.gov). Bobby runs two events a year (in the Spring and in the Fall). He tells me he gets around 195 kids at each event because he advertises the events in the local paper. What he is doing for these kids in this small community is tremendous. As you know, we in the FAA and others in the aviation community are concerned with the nurturing of aviation interest in future generations. Seeing

https://www.faasafety.gov/files/notices/2007/Aug/Angels_of_Avation.pdf


Unsung Heroes: Building Aviation’s Future
By: John m. Allen director, flight standards service

Nestled along the South Fork of the Licking River is my hometown, Cynthiana, Kentucky. Cynthiana boasts several factories, 6,000 residents, and a public-use airport, where my cousin, Bobby Craft, is the board chairman. Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport (0I8) is a small airport two miles south of Cynthiana tucked in a bend of the Licking River with a 3,800-foot runway and a handful of hangars.

Bobby, like many others, is a huge booster of aviation. He is active in Young Eagles®, an Experimental Aircraft AssociationTM program where kids get a ride in an aircraft volunteers rent or own. It’s a great program: More than a million young people have received rides thanks to volunteer pilots in 90 countries. Since 2000, each year some 200 young Kentuckians are introduced to aviation at two events at the Cynthiana airport. Bobby proudly reports that one of his first Young Eagles returned this year with a newly minted pilot certificate. Helping young people get a taste of aviation and get a sense that their futures can soar is essential to aviation’s future. What Bobby, his wife Jeana, and countless other Young Eagles volunteers are doing is even more important: They build character. The Young Eagles flights help many kids overcome their fears and feel pride and self-confidence when they come back after that first flight.

There’s no age limit at Cynthiana airport. Last summer, Jeana coordinated an event for "Silver Eagles" to give rides to residents of the Cedar Ridge Health Campus. She wanted to give senior citizens an opportunity that they would not have had without such a program. Some of the seniors had never been in an airplane; others hadn’t flown in more than 50 years. One participant was 100 years old.

Cynthiana airport isn’t standing still. It is moving forward to ensure the airport continues to play an important role in the community. Bobby acquired funding to build a new terminal building (including classrooms) and parking lot. Yet, Bobby is not alone. There are many more people like him across the country who are doing great things for aviation.

We in the federal government work visibly to enable the adventure and commerce of aviation without compromising safety. Many in Washington, DC, get publicly recognized for their contributions. Yet, there are thousands of unsung heroes all around the nation who humbly give of their own time and expense to enhance aviation’s future.

Yes, I am extremely proud of what my cousin is doing for aviation. I am also proud of the many other unsung heroes who are making a tremendous difference for aviation. Thank you all for what you are doing to build a better and stronger future for all of us.

www.faa.gov/news/aviation_news/2009/media/janfeb2009.pdf