Story & images – Laura McDermid
On Saturday, 27 January, EAA Chapter 322 etched its name in history by hosting the inaugural Young Aviators initiative.
This incredibly worthwhile initiative differs from the well-known EAA Young Eagles program, which is dedicated to introducing and inspiring children to aviation through free introductory flights, courtesy of EAA members.
The Young Aviators is the brainchild of 21-year-old Tyla Puzey from Johannesburg. Tyla is no stranger to aviation as her dad Mike has been flying recreational aircraft for many years.
Mike, a successful entrepreneur, built his own plane – a KR1, which is on proud display hanging from the roof of his huge shop – The Biker’s Warehouse. Mike’s latest passion is restoring abandoned Cessnas to their former glory.
In Tyla’s case, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Throughout her childhood, Mike’s free thinking and mom Kerry’s phenomenal business skills instilled a set of values in her that produced a very confident and capable young lady who knows what she wants.
Having matriculated from Northcliff High in 2020, she utilized the downtime during the global shutdown to contemplate her future. She started her PPL in January 2022 and completed it within six months.
Encouraged by her parents, Tyla diversified her skills by undertaking a variety of other courses including advanced driving skills, an open water scuba course, and welding, to name but a few.
The aviation bug firmly embedded itself in Tyla, leading her to pursue her Commercial License (CPL) in January 2023, with aspirations of joining an airline or flying for a private charter company.
Tyla is adamant she will keep flying small planes to ‘keep the passion for flying alive’.
This commitment sparked the idea of forming a group with peers of a similar age group. In Tyla’s aviation community the median age of pilots was north of 50, bringing a wealth of experience but lacking interaction with people of her own age.
At the EAA Chapter 322 meeting in December 2023, the Puzey family pitched the idea of the Young Aviators, and it has been full throttle ever since.
The EAA committee undertook various tasks, with Kerry reaching out to potential sponsors, and Tyla establishing social media pages to attract young aviators aged 16 to 30.
The event was held at Eagle’s Creek Aviation Estate, where Mike has his hangars.
The EAA, Pilot Insure, Sling Aircraft, Flightsure, Red Bull and Instru-Technique donated generously towards food and refreshments. Hopefully the Eagle’s Creek committee will see value in subsidising the next event.
As the first event of its kind, the turnout exceeded expectations, with over 100 enthusiastic youngsters queuing up outside the gazebo to register.
Despite the initially forecast rain and the assumption that few planes would fly in, the event saw a considerable influx of cars, posing a parking challenge.
While Derek Hopkins treated a few of the younger crowd to a quick flip in his RV-8, Johan and Marinda served a delicious meal to the hungry masses.
Tyla gave the welcoming address which was followed by a motivational talk by guest speaker Sue Schwaab, an ex-airline pilot from Madison USA.
Neil Bowden, chairman of EAA Chapter 322, and the indomitable Karl Jensen were next, regaling the eager young crowd with captivating stories.
Kerry and Tyla then conducted an aviation-themed quiz, concluding the day at 17h00, with an exhausted Tyla bidding farewell to her newfound friends.
In an era where recreational flying faces uncertain prospects, witnessing youngsters from diverse backgrounds unite was uplifting. From aviation novices to fully qualified commercial pilots, these youngsters connected, exchanging contact details and planning future events.
As the future of aviation, the optimism expressed by these budding pilots about South Africa is encouraging. With plans already in motion for future events and collaborations, I can’t wait to see what lies ahead.
I commented about the sky being the limit to one of the attendees. He responded; ‘I disagree, the sky is home.’
I couldn’t have said it better myself.