OSHKOSH, Wis. – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Kiddie Hawk Air Academy (KHAA) are joining forces to host aviation activities for children ages 4-9 at this year’s EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, kicking off a five-year extension of their exclusive higher education partnership in developing educational and STEM programs to inspire the next generation of pilots, aircraft technicians, aerospace engineers and dreamers.
The free activities are taking place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every day through Saturday at the KHAA/Living Legends of Aviation display in the Wittman Hangar at KidVenture, which can be found on the EAA map at D7. Here, Embry-Riddle students and KHAA volunteers are available to guide children in using Kiddie Hawk aircraft and helicopter trainers. These kinetic-motion flight simulators specially designed for children let them “fly” a few feet off the ground, learning about pitch, yaw and roll while using a stick-and-pedal system similar to real aircraft.
Prominently positioned at the entrance to Wittman Hangar is a new RV partially funded by Embry-Riddle as part of its renewed collaboration with KHAA. Throughout the Oshkosh run, Embry-Riddle students are stationed by the vehicle conducting three ongoing workshops for children – a chart scavenger hunt, a transportation matching game and paper airplane construction.
“We’re so grateful to Embry-Riddle for helping to make the new RV possible,” said Stacey Elsner, executive director of the nonprofit KHAA and Living Legends of Aviation. “It really takes our joint STEM outreach to the next level, allowing us to transport the Kiddie Hawk flight simulators and volunteers around the country in an attractive and professional-looking vehicle.” The RV and its staff will visit schools and aviation events, including Embry-Riddle’s Wings & Waves air show Oct. 11-12 this year in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Another feature of KHAA’s Oshkosh display is a “Legends and Guests” stage where aviation celebrities, business leaders and innovators are on hand each day to answer questions from kids, encourage them to strive for academic excellence and discuss career options in aviation and aerospace.
“The fun, interactive activities developed by Kiddie Hawk Air Academy and Embry-Riddle are proving to be an effective way to encourage children to explore aviation,” said Embry-Riddle Vice President of Marketing and Enrollment Management Bill Hampton. “It was a natural next step for us to reaffirm our alliance with Kiddie Hawk to continue sparking a love of flight in children who come to air shows like EAA AirVenture.”
Youths interested in more information about Embry-Riddle, the world’s leading aerospace university, can check out the school’s College Park exhibition at Oshkosh, where Cessna, Diamond, Piper and Robinson aircraft from the university’s Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., campuses are on display.
About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 70 baccalaureate, master’s and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts & Sciences, Aviation, Business, Engineering and Security & Intelligence. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and through online programs. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit http://www.embryriddle.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv.
About Kiddie Hawk Air Academy/Living Legends of Aviation
Founded by aeronautical engineer and pilot William “Bill” Marcy in 1996, the goal of Kiddie Hawk Air Academy is to introduce children to aviation by incorporating the Trainer, a kinetic-motion flight simulator specially designed for youth, and a curriculum that includes aviation mechanics, history and career opportunities. The goal of the program is to spark a passion as well as develop a sense of appreciation and interest in aviation that will carry on into their adult years. KHAA also strives to inspire kids to achieve academic excellence in order to enter into aviation-related careers. The Kiddie Hawk Air Academy produces the “Living Legends of Aviation” Awards Gala each year as its annual fundraiser. Past honorees include Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, Sully Sullenberger, Sir Richard Branson, John Travolta, Harrison Ford and Morgan Freeman. As a result of the affiliation between Kiddie Hawk and Living Legends, KHAA has assumed the mission of recording and maintaining a “Living Library” of Aviation Legends to inspire future generations and share the history of the second 100 years of aviation. For more information on KHAA, visit kiddiehawkairacademy.org. For more information on Living Legends of Aviation, go to livinglegendsofaviation.org and follow the Legends on Twitter (@AviationAwards).
