Young Eagles @ EAA Chapter 461

• The next rally date: July 11, 2026
• Registration will open on: Wednesday, July 8 at 8pm
• the link will be here…

• In case of No-Go the rally is usually rescheduled to a following week, and we reopen the registration.
• We do not carry over the registrations because the number of spots is highly variable depending on the number of available aircraft.
• We do not reschedule the second No-Go.
• If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at [email protected]

• April 11
• May 16 (rescheduled from May 9)
• June 20 (rescheduled from July 13)
• July 11
• August 8
• September 12
• October 10

Overview of the Program:

The EAA Young Eagles program was started in 1992 to give interested young people, ages 8 – 17, an opportunity to experience the joy of flight in a general aviation airplane. These flights are offered free of charge and are made possible through the generosity of EAA member volunteers.  Since 1992 more than 2 million Young Eagles have enjoyed a flight through the program, from 90 different countries, having been flown by more than 42,000 volunteer pilots.

EAA maintains an online Young Eagles logbook here: Young Eagles Logbook

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who qualifies for the Young Eagles flights?

Children ages 8-17. They can participate in Young Eagles rallies and fly more than once.

When is your next Young Eagles rally?

Our chapter hosts Young Eagles rallies April through October on the second Saturday of each month (weather permitting).
We start at 9:00 am and fly until 12:00 pm.

When does registration open?

We open the registration on Wednesday prior to the event, at 8pm.
The link will be posted on this website and our Facebook page.
Due to a high demand we don’t have an ability to accommodate walk-ins.

What’s the address of the airport?

We are located at the Bolingbrook’s Clow International Airport.
Address: 118 S. Clow Intn’l Parkway, Bolingbrook, IL 60490
Park at the parking lot next to Charlie’s restaurant and walk towards the Illinois Aviation Museum.

How can I find out if the flight is cancelled due to weather?

We send out emails to all registered participants; however, emails sometimes fail to deliver.
We strongly recommend checking our website and our Facebook page before heading to the airport. We make a GO/NO-GO decision around 8pm the night before the event.

We try to post as soon as possible whenever the status of the event changes. This would include rescheduling, cancellation, delays, and so on.  Due to the accuracy (or the lack thereof) of weather forecasts, the variation in local weather conditions, and conditions specific to Clow Airport, we try not to make these decisions very far in advance.  We try our best to avoid disappointments; however, safety is always our primary concern, followed closely by the comfort and enjoyment of our Young Eagles passengers.

The registration shows closed / I was not able to get a spot

The demand highly exceeds the capacity of our volunteers. For each rally we carefully estimate the number of children we will be able to fly, and open that many spots. The registration fills up very fast, sometimes in less than a minute. If you didn’t get a spot, you can try again next month. You can also check other EAA chapters nearby offering Young Eagles rides.

All Young Eagles flights are a courtesy of volunteer pilots who cover the entire cost associated with that (fuel, maintenance, rent, etc). None of the pilots or ground crew is compensated in any way. We offer these flights because we want to inspire the new generation. We also provide a supportive environment for those who are interested in flying: Hangar Nights, Build Projects, scholarships.

How many passengers are permitted on a flight?

The number of passengers depends on the size of the airplane. Some pilots fly 2-seat airplanes, which means they can take only one passenger at a time. Some pilots fly 4-seat airplanes, which means they can take up to three passengers at a time. The maximum number of Young Eagles per flight is three.

What aircraft will be used?

Our Chapter members own/rent a wide variety of aircraft.  There is no guarantee that any specific plane will be available at any specific event.  Most of the airplanes have 2 or 4 seats. There are factory-built airplanes like Cessna, Piper, and experimental airplanes built by our chapter members, such as RV, Rans, Zenith. All aircraft are in perfect airworthy condition and undergo a rigorous annual inspection.

Is a parent required to be present at the event?

Absolutely! The parent (or legal guardian) must sign a waiver at the event. Due to legal and insurance constraints, we cannot allow grandparents/extended family or friends sign the waiver. A parent must be physically present at the event.

Would a parent be permitted to fly along?

We have found that most children benefit the most when not accompanied by another adult and the pilot can concentrate on the Young Eagle(s). 

If you have a Special Needs child, please let us know in advance. We will plan how best to accommodate, so that a parent/caregiver can accompany the child.

More information about Young Eagles on EAA website 

If you have any further questions, please contact our Young Eagles Coordinator