Flight School To Host Silver Eagles

Taking the idea behind EAA's Young Eagles program to a new audience, a flight school in California plans to offer free airplane flights to older people this weekend. "San Carlos Flight Center created the Silver Eagles program as a way for club members to pay tribute to elder aviators, to honor fellow pilots who are no longer flying," according to the school's website. The school has reserved their entire fleet for Saturday morning, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., to welcome back to the cockpit any pilots who have put away their pilot-in-command wings due to age or physical limitations.

The event will also feature a free barbecue lunch. "Free airplane flights are just part of the celebration," Dan Dyer, owner of the flight center, said in a news release. "The nature of the event is to honor this generation of pilots, to give them a chance to experience the joy of flight once again, and to welcome them to our community of current and aspiring aviators." Pilots who want to volunteer for the flights, or anyone who wants to sign up for a free flight, can contact the flight school.