We hosted our fourth annual SUMMER FLIGHT SCHOOL
July 14-24th 2023

THIS PROGRAM INCLUDED

  • One-on-one flight instruction with attention to take offs, landings and aircraft handling;

  • Aviation ground school sessions covering topics such as theory of flight, weather, navigation, radio, and engine systems;

  • Visits from numerous industry experts and guest speakers who share about their career paths, training experience and the in-demand job opportunities in maintenance, air traffic control and in the cockpit;

  • Cultural Connections Sessions hosted by Dakota and Anishinaabe guests and elders.

Our classes have been comprised of students ages 15-18 years old from communities served by Dakota Ojibway Child & Family Services such as Birdtail Sioux, Roseau River, Dakota Plains, Long Plain, and Swan Lake First Nation.

Each student received incredible exposure to aviation with an average of 8 hours of flight time in three different aircraft: our Allegro 2000 Advanced Ultralight, Fast Air’s Cessna 172, and a volunteer’s VL3 Advanced Ultralight.  In addition to the airborne training where they learned core flying skills, each had an opportunity to try their hand in KF Aero’s Grob 120 and Bell 206 simulators.

While further pursuit of aviation training would be an exciting outcome for prospective students, that is not our primary goal. By learning to fly, youth will experience a unique sense of accomplishment that fuels self-confidence and provides tangible evidence of what they are capable of when they commit to a task and persevere to its completion.

That is where Eagle’s Wings’ passion and purpose lies — to see young people transform their outlook and their lives as we ‘slip the surly bonds of earth and dance the skies on laughter-silvered wings’ together.