The Morden Flying Club is wishing to share their love of flying with local youth, providing a fun and memorable experience, and hopefully sparking a lifelong interest in aviation. To do that, the club has planned a Young Aviators event and will be offering airplane rides at the Morden Airport on June 14th to local 12 - 16-year-olds who pre-register.  

The idea of a Young Aviators event came up at a recent Morden Flying Club meeting after the members shared what first sparked their interest in aviation. For almost all, it was an airplane ride they received from a family friend or relative in their younger years. That ride inspired them to become pilots, some recreational and some continuing to careers in aviation.  

Club President, Richard Falk, asks parents and friends to spread the word and encourage someone they know to apply for the Young Aviator event. “As a club, we have many experienced pilots who love to fly and are happy to donate these flights. We’re hoping to see many registrations come in and we will have a variety of aircraft giving rides that evening. Pilots are prepared to provide more than 50 rides for Young Aviators at this event”. Falk notes there will be an opportunity for the Young Aviators at the event to enter a draw to win an extra-special ride, either in a Nanchang military trainer or a prize-winning Murphy Renegade bi-plane as featured on the cover of Canadian Aviator. These two aircraft are locally owned and the pilots are offering this extra-special experience to 2 of the registrants. 

Murphy Renegade bi-plane. (Action Plus Photography)Murphy Renegade bi-plane. (Action Plus Photography)

To register, youth aged 12 - 16 are invited to email their submissions by June 12th to flywithmfc@gmail.com , with the subject line ‘Young Aviators’.  

Submissions must include:  

  1. name and age of youth, (must be between 12 – 16) 

  1. name and email address of parent, and  

  1. 1 – 2 sentences on why they would enjoy an airplane ride.  

Rides are weather permitting and will take place on June 14th between 5:00pm – 7:30pm. In addition to their airplane ride, Young Aviators will also receive a free hotdog meal and a pre-flight briefing with the pilot. Parental consent will be required at the event and rides are not transferrable to another person.  

The date for the Young Aviator flights coincides with club’s Flyday Friday, a regular summer event that sees aircraft flying in from other areas as well. Families of the Young Aviators, as well as the public, are welcome to attend and watch the flight activity at the airport. Hotdog meals will be available for purchase. 

Falk explained the club's desire to offer these flights. “We recognize the importance of aviation in the community and region as a whole. We hope to spark an interest in aviation and share our love of flight. Who knows, maybe one day some of these young aviators pursue a pilot’s license or career in aviation. Or perhaps they learn to fly just for the joy of it. It can start with that one flight they remember from their childhood”.