Around 100 young people from the Cleveland area soared above the city on Saturday, Nov. 1, thanks to a special program hosted by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). The flights, organized through the Cleveland EAA Chapter, took place at Cleveland Municipal Airport and gave students ages 8 to 17 the chance to experience the thrill of flight—many for the first time.
This marks the fourth youth flight event held by the local chapter, one of roughly 1,000 EAA chapters around the world. While most chapters are based in the United States, their mission is the same everywhere: to inspire the next generation of aviators.
“Our purpose is to basically promote aviation and introduce kids to aviation,” said Larry Elliott, a Cleveland chapter member and retired Southwest Airlines pilot.
“We just want to share that love of flying.”
The Cleveland EAA Chapter has about 45 members, most of whom are pilots who hangar their aircraft at the Cleveland airport. Others serve in support roles, volunteering their time to make each event possible. The only requirement for membership, Elliott said, is a shared passion for aviation.
The event drew mostly Cleveland High School students, with a few participants coming from East Montgomery County. Pilots volunteered their time, fuel, and aircraft to give each student a short flight around the city before returning to the airport, where family members eagerly waited to hear about the adventure.
Also volunteering at the event was Brian Stafford, who leads the aviation program at Cleveland High School. The school’s program has grown to include about 300 students, with roughly 80 of them working hands-on to build an actual airplane—a feat that few high schools in the nation can claim.
Last year, the program completed its first “experimental plane,” a term referring to aircraft that are built from kits rather than produced in a factory like a Cessna or Piper. This year’s student-built plane is progressing even faster.
“We should finish it by the end of the school year,” Stafford said.
Cleveland Municipal Airport Manager Eric Galindo said programs like these are vital for introducing young people to the field. Galindo, who was named airport manager recently, previously served as an aviation operations specialist with the U.S. Army for 21 years and was a building inspector for the City of Cleveland prior to the airport job.
“This is an awesome opportunity for kids to get exposure to aviation,” Galindo said.
Among the volunteers was Ricardo Suarez, a 2025 Cleveland High School graduate and former aviation program student who helped complete the first plane. Suarez was the first CHS student to take flight in the aircraft his class helped build.
“I’m pretty proud of that, and I’m glad that Mr. Stafford introduced aviation to us,” he said.
Suarez now attends the Aviation Institute of Maintenance in downtown Houston and plans to pursue a pilot’s license.
“I hope to work my way up to a commercial pilot’s license,” he added.
Another volunteer, Kevin Velasquez, said the aviation program gave him hope during one of the darkest periods of his life—when his father was dying from cancer.
“The construction of the plane gave me purpose. It gave me a reason to wake up every day,” Velasquez said. “Now this is my passion. I love this industry.”
One of the pilots flying at Saturday’s event was Dustin Newell, owner of the flight school at Cleveland Municipal Airport. After learning about Velasquez’s story, Newell awarded him a full scholarship to earn his pilot’s license.
“He’s a very, very generous guy,” Elliott said, adding that Newell also provided meals for all the students, pilots and families who participated in Saturday’s event.
While chatting with Velasquez, Stafford, and Suarez, Elliott smiled and said, “Flying beats working for a living. The best part is the office.”