A Harrison County woman was recently honored as the 2020 Outstanding Chapter Coordinator by the Experimental Aircraft Association, for her long time work with the popular Young Eagles Program.

Re’Jeana Craft won the national award for her work in growing the Young Eagles Program at the EAA Chapter 1522 facility located at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport.

“I am not one to take all the credit for our Young Eagles Program,” Craft said. “We have several volunteers that work hard to make these events possible. I love this program and the opportunity that it provides for the younger generation."  

Craft said there are currently seven pilots who fly from the local airport who are Young Eagles Program graduates.

Launched in 1992 nationally, the Young Eagles program has dedicated almost 30 years to giving youth ages 8–17 their first free ride in an airplane. To date, over 2.2 million youngsters have participated in the Young Eagles Program.

Craft began her involvement in the YEP in 1998 when she and her husband, Bobby, began volunteering at the YEP, in Georgetown.

Bobby volunteered as a pilot and Re’Jeana helped with registration at EAA Chapter 169, Georgetown airport’s chapter.

“Not knowing what to expect, we refrained from advertising too much and wound up flying around 40 Young Eagles,” Re’Jeana recalled. “The next year we advertised in our local paper (the Cynthiana Democrat) and more than doubled our attendance.”

Shortly after those first two years, Georgetown’s Chapter 169 decided to quit sponsoring the Cynthiana event.

“This was devastating and I was unsure it we were going to be able to continue with the program that I had come to love,” she said. “That same year, my husband’s cousin, John Allen, who was the FAA Director, Flight Standard Service, came to visit and asked if we had ever heard of the Young Eagles Program. That year we had flown about 198 Young Eagles and after showing him the DVD of photos, he made a couple of phone calls and EAA agreed to make me a Young Eagles Field Representative for Kentucky.”

She remained in that capacity for several years before the local airport decided to start its own EAA chapter in 2012. EAA Chapter 1522 was formed and in 2013 the local chapter flew over 300 Young Eagles in a four-hour event.

“The rallies became an obsession with me and I started setting a goal from year to year hoping to outdo the previous year,” Craft said. “I had a banner made, advertised in three different newspapers, had fliers made, went to schools to talk about the program and posted on social media outlets.”

In order for an event like this to take place, local and area pilots must volunteer to fly their planes. Craft is indebted to those dedicated pilots who have participated in the Young Eagles Program over the years.

“We have had pilots fly in from California, Texas and Michigan just to take part in the Young Eagles rally,” she said. “To this date, we have had 62 different pilots fly Young Eagles at our airport and three of those pilots are former Young Eagles themselves.”

Craft said no one will be happier than her when the current coronavirus pandemic runs its course.

“The airport’s EAA Chapter 1522 Young Eagles Program has become an event that not only we look forward to, but our entire community looks forward to,” she concluded. “I couldn’t be any more honored to be a part of this amazing program.”

Phillips 66 Aviation — a leading diversified and integrated downstream energy provider and a major contract jet and avgas fuel supplier to private, commercial, and military aviation — proudly announced Gordon Davis as the winner of the 2024 Phillips 66 Aviation EAA Young Eagles Leadership Award. Gordon, a dedicated member of EAA Chapter 1522 in Cynthiana, Kentucky, was one of the many outstanding volunteers recognized over the years for their significant contributions to the Young Eagles program.

“The award means a lot to me, and I am honored to be able to make lifetime relationships with youth,” said Gordon. “At a young age, I would have loved for someone to have guided me in flight. At our little airport in Cynthiana, Kentucky, kids and the Young Eagles program are the heart of the airport. I have so many fine people who support me in mentoring these passionate young individuals, allowing us to give them as many flights as they want, so they can pursue their license and achieve their goals.”

From a young age, Gordon gazed up at the sky with dreams of soaring among the clouds. His journey into the world of aviation took an unconventional path. Initially, he carved out a successful career in IT within the federal government. However, his interest in aviation remained strong. At the age of 40, he pursued his lifelong dream and worked towards earning his pilot certificate. Today, Gordon resides in Lexington, Kentucky. His dedication to aviation led him to Cynthiana, where he found an airport that was more than just a place to park an airplane — it was a community.

“The field of aviation is fortunate to have so many passionate individuals who set aside time to support youth through the Young Eagles program,” said Sunny Lopez, manager, Phillips 66 Aviation. “This year, we proudly recognized Gordon Davis with the Phillips 66 Aviation EAA Young Eagles Leadership Award for his outstanding dedication. Davis has not only facilitated countless one-off flight opportunities for families but has also nurtured meaningful relationships and guided young minds toward safe and inspiring experiences in aviation.”

The Young Eagles program aims to inspire youths ages 8-17 by offering free flights in general aviation airplanes. These flights are made possible by the generosity of EAA member volunteers like Gordon. Since joining the program in 2010, Gordon has flown 860 Young Eagles, sharing his passion for aviation and nurturing the dreams of future pilots.

“Some of these kids in the Young Eagles program have been with us since they were 10 years old, and now they are 16,” said Gordon. “Watching them grow and seeing them reach the pedals after so many flights with us is incredibly rewarding. Several of the boys and girls in the program have even received EAA scholarships. A hobby I [couldn’t] give up; leaving the Young Eagles program would be like ripping out my heart.”

Beyond his involvement with the Young Eagles program, Gordon has contributed to several other youth programs for EAA Chapter 1522, including an RV-12 teen build project, hands-on Young Eagles workshops, and the Ray Aviation Scholarship program. He also served as an EAA technical counselor for five years and successfully completed the build of a beautiful RV-7