On board a 1969 Piper Cherokee 140, Michael Watkins prepared a first-time pilot and the rest of the young crew before taking off from the runway.

“You have controls?” the flight instructor asked the teen sitting next to him.

“I have controls,” the teen responded.

“You have controls,” Watkins confirmed, dispelling any confusion surrounding who was in charge of flying the aircraft.

Within moments, they would take off and fly all the way to Fort Casey before returning to the DeLaurentis Airport in 15 minutes or less.

In Watkins’ experience, many students expect piloting a plane works like driving a car. However, he said, all it takes is two fingers and a bit of pressure. Then there’s a plethora of rules about things like safety, radio communications or entering Naval Air Station Whidbey Island’s airspace.

Looking out for bald eagles is also highly encouraged as they “like to play chicken,” Watkins tells his students.

Last Thursday, the DeLaurentis International Airport hosted a series of introductory flights to youths aged 14 to 17, free to families.

Now, some of these teens can claim they’ve flown a plane before they’ve even driven a car. Though the earliest one can earn a pilot’s license is 17, Watkins said teens can start logging in flight hours at 14.

The event attracted 29 students from the Oak Harbor and Coupeville school districts, including some homeschooled teens and members of the Oak Harbor High School Flight Club. Ten of those students sat on the pilot’s seat, guided by Watkins.

“Kids Fly!” is a program that came to be through the airport’s partnership with Cascade Warbirds and Wings Over Whidbey. The Warbirds, a group dedicated to inspiring young people to become aviators, donated fuel while Wings Over Whidbey, Watkins’ air tour and flight instruction business, offered free flight lessons to the students.

Robert DeLaurentis, seasoned pilot and owner of the airport, believes the interest in flying starts at a very young age. He noted how small children observe planes when they fly above them.

Fred Smyth, a former U.S. Army helicopter pilot who served in Vietnam and a member of the Cascade Warbirds, said the goal is to get teens excited about flying and introduce them to something that might become a passion or a career.

“We want them to understand that it’s enjoyable, it’s safe, and it’s structured,” said Smyth, who also managed the flying club at NAS Whidbey Island.

To give students some reassurance about the plane’s safety, Watkins idles the engine, demonstrating how the aircraft will glide with a dead engine instead of nose diving.

Watkins said there is a shortage of pilots in the aviation industry, which is why it’s important to encourage youths who are beginning to think about their future to join the field.

“Everybody’s desperate for pilots,” he said.

DeLaurentis said they hope to offer more opportunities with Kids Fly!, including a ground school training class with flight simulation equipment offered for free, which might debut by the end of summer.

Though there isn’t a date set for the next Kids Fly! session, youths interested in participating can reach out to Wings Over Whidbey by calling 360-302-4909. Participants need to bring a parent or caregiver to sign a waiver.

Photo by Luisa Loi The 1969 Piper Cherokee 140 lands at the DeLaurentis Aiport.

Photo by Luisa Loi A first group of students successfully takes off, headed towards Fort Casey.