Saturday 6th September 2025 – Deenethorpe Aerodrome -            The 19th Annual Young Aviators event                                                                                                                                                                   Sunday 7th - I’ve just been watching the “de-eclipsing” of the moon, as I type this first part – a wonderful sight, blocked initially by clouds on the horizon, but eventually looking spectacular as the shadow turned the blood red moon (behind the clouds) a bright shining sphere in the night sky.                                                                                                                                                          However this amazing sight, it was truly eclipsed the day before by the 19th Annual young Aviators event at Deenethorpe Aerodrome on Saturday 6th September 2025.                                                                                                                                                                                The “weather dances” for the days before the event paid off, though really only on the Friday before did the weather settle down again and then stay nice for Saturday, to allay fears of a repeat of the 2024 Young Aviators Event, where Mother Nature thwarted us with a stubborn cloud bank until 15:00, when we were finally able to start flying.                                                                                                                                                                                              This year the weather started off nice, chilly but sunny, and our expected contingent of pilots were all able to make it into Deenethorpe, either to fly youngsters or go into static, and we were able to start flying as scheduled at 10:30.  The weather stayed good for most of the day, but gradually the wind increased, and eventually a cross-wind developed and it ended up at 15-knots, which meant many of the pilots had to stop flying, as they were out of limits, but we had some very experienced pilots who managed to fly the last few and we ended up flying everyone - a total of 78x youngsters (62x Scouts and 16x non-Scouts), on a total of 60x flights, in 12x aircraft flown by 12x pilots.                                                                                                                                             In doing so we also flew (on the 11th flight of the day) our 1,500th youngster, a young lady from 1st Stoke Pogues Air Scouts. We also had the pleasure to fly, as the last youngster of the day, Tor, who was our 1,000th youngster, flown at the 14th Annual Young Aviators event on 3rd September 2019, then aged 9. Tor has since then matured into a lovely young man, and has progressed as a pilot and has flown some 30 hours under instruction on 2x different types (a PA-28 and a Cessna 150), and is now doing some gliding to boot. He is a real TAP nowadays (Total Aviation Person) and he helped out for most of the day at the BMAA Simulator - to much praise and admiration from everyone and assisted by his very supportive Mum Fi.So what did YA 2025 bring?. It was different yet again, which makes each and every annual event totally unique and memorable.Firstly a “big Thank You” to AOPA UK and especially Martin Robinson, Mick Elborn and Mandy at HQ, for their continued support and sponsorship, for the 5th year in a row, of Young Aviators.I’d also like to thank Jon & Jenny Edgington and Helen "Pip" Dolling and the 28th Oxford (Littlemore) for their additional sponsorship of the event. Without this sponsorship the event could just not have taken place.However, once the sponsorships are sorted out, the planning then ensured a varied and hopefully interesting event, but not without the support in the background, the superb volunteers, and the Pilots - the event would just not take place. With thanks to my wife Denise, who helped prepare the badges, cut up the cakes, and put up with the piles of Goodie Bags, Booklets and the myriad of other stuff needed to run the event. To Ron Shell, the Air Advisor for Gloucestershire Scouts for all his checks and support in the background.Thanks must also go to Mick Hyde and Kevin Bradley, Deenethorpe Aerodrome operators, for hosting this, the 19th Annual Young Aviators event, and the 3rd Young Aviators event to be held at Deenethorpe.The Marquee was once again the centre of activities.Steve and Sue Slater (now Mr & Mrs, big congrats to you both) did their magic once again with the Egg Crash Test Workshop, where a model “flying device” had to be built, with an egg on board, and then flown without the egg cracking!!!. A truly “cracking” and fun activity, with some really interesting flying devices produced!!.More magic was weaved with Phil Jackson carrying out his very popular aircraft sketching & drawing activity, and once again both youngsters and adults produced some superb results, with one mum being so inspired by Dr Amina Waheed’s aircraft in static, that she asked me to pass on a signed drawing to our very own “Flying Doctor”.The final activity that kept the marquee buzzing was Jon Edgington and his team of Fi West-Ley, Mark Parker and Gavin Richardson, who did a superb job again this year of running the Navigation Exercises, which were enjoyed by all the Young Aviators throughout the day.Outside the marquee we had some Radio/Telephony fun with folks alternating as the Pilot of an aircraft or an Air Traffic Controller, practising their Airman’s Alphabet and hopefully learning a little about flying a typical circuit, as well as some “The Plane Guy” Paper Planes and a little booklet for all the mini-Aviators (up to age 8) which contained crossword puzzles, quizzes, parts of an aircraft, mazes, colouring and join the dots and lots of other interesting aviation related items, hopefully getting their interest up, and then later they might become future Young Aviators. I firmly believe in getting youngsters involved and inspired early, so that the early exposure to aviation, gives them a good grounding towards them being inspired and then getting involved as the aviators, engineers and spacemen of the future.These activities were overseen by some new volunteers this year – Simran Sangera from Flight Crowd, and her friend China Chuks, who came along to see what Young Aviators is all about, and with a view to The Plane Guy and Flight Crowd working together on some future aviation activities for youngsters- really looking forward to doing so. Simran is a PPL holder and continues her studies with a view to flying helicopters. China, also wants to get to a PPL and then perhaps Air Traffic Control, so hopefully they gained some useful insights during the day. Thanks for coming along and for all your help, with stuffing Goodie Bags, etc.Stepping in at the last minute (as last year’s modellers were unable to attend) and very much appreciated, were the team from Bedford District Aircraft Club whose Treasurer Chris Brewer along with Ross Donovan and Tim Jones and one other, provided a varied fleet of aircraft models, which they flew with skill & aplomb despite the wind, and next year have promised to do some “Buddy Flying” as the area allocated to them this year was a bit too small for the type of aircraft models they had with them. Chris’s young son Chase joined our non-Scout Group D, to do all the activities that were available, and enjoyed himself while Dad did his displays.Additional help was provided by Paul Oakley, who as usual was a brilliant right-hand man, and without whose energy and can do attitude sorting out various problems on the day. Thank You Paul, you helped smooth things out tremendously.Also assisting me were Peter Stevenson, who again I could rely on to sort out some wrinkles, and very ably assisted by Tehya his daughter, who came along with Welland Gliding Club and their glider in Young Aviators back in 2023, and is now learning to fly a glider there, along with James Reichle who is part of 1st Sywell Air Scouts, and they both escorted the non-Scout Group D around all day and ensured they stayed to timetable and were kept from getting bored!!. Thank you Peter, Tehya and James.Nigel Kemp, with Kevin Jarvis and Jeff Webb did a great job at manning the radio, and marshalling the aircraft in the parking area at the end of the runway. Keri Webb did a super job of checking in the Pilots and keeping the Bus Stop team on their toes.The Bus Stop was once again run very efficiently by Ian Malcomson and his daughter Igraine Malcomson-Smith, and later Hayley and Alice Shepherd, who checked the numbers and filled in the Young Aviator Certificates.The BMAA (British Microlight Aircraft Association) provided their excellent Flight Simulator, housed in a purpose made trailer and manned by their new CEO Owain Johns, and then assisted by Tor and his Mum Fi, and they seemed to be busy all day long.Finally we had 4x aircraft in static, where youngsters and adults could “meet the pilot” and do Cockpit Visits.Stewart Luck flew in his lovely Bolkow 208C G-ATTR and spend the morning in static with a YES (Youth & Education Support) banner, showing their new independence, having left the LAA as a Strut organisation earlier in 2025. We wish them the very best of luck as they continue to promote Youth Aviation in all its forms. Thanks Stewart.Sean Rose flew in his “Green Machine” RANS S6 Coyote II, G-CCZN, and he was delighted chatting to folks young and old, and explaining his amazing story as a disabled flyer, a true inspiration and someone who has overcome tremendous adversity, to fly and live his life to the full. Full respect and a true gent. Thank You Sean.Kevin Bradley had his Skyranger in static as well and again was busy showing off the aircraft he flew youngsters in last year. Thanks Kevin.Last but not least we were absolutely thrilled to welcome our very own “Flying Doctor” Dr Amina Waheed, who flew in a Cessna FRA150L Aerobat, G-BFRC, and made a big impression representing not just women in aviation but also the BWPA (British Women Pilots Association). As stated above a drawing of her aircraft has been passed to me to forward to Amina, and that will be winging its way to her shortly. Great to see Amina, and thanks a million for attending.So as you can see many organisations took part in Young Aviators this year, and it was great to see all the interest generated for the youngsters and adults alike taking part, as every year we hear of youngsters going on to become pilots of all types, ATC, or join the Air Scouts, or RAFAC, or even trying and succeeding in joining the airlines or British Forces (RAF, RN, Marines, Army) based on their attendance at a Young Aviator event.A few more Thank You’s before I finish – to Pooleys for all their support and all the Goodie Bags, to Ethan and all the Team at KallKwik in Bedford for the printing of the Young Aviators booklet, Jamie and her helper for providing the catering at the event, Lauren and Loos for Hire for the two Portaloos. Amanda Lord of the BMAA for organising the BMAA Simulator.Finally and I always say this last but definitely NOT LEAST, to the 12x Pilots who flew the youngsters on the day – Alan Gray, Alan Birt, Andrew Fell, Charles Kennedy, David Lawer, Nick Brookes, Lee McIllwaine, Nigel Surnam, Matthew Burham, Simon Stoodley, Colin Johnson and Thomas Garner. Without your support and willingness to take part and really make the high-light of the day for most – the flight, the overall of success of the day would not be possible. Thank You one and all.To date, in 19 annual Young Aviators events since 2006 (all bar 2020 due to Covid), we have now flown 1,567x youngsters (419x non-Scouts, 1,136x Scouts and 12x ATC) as well as 221x Adults, on a total of 1,371x flights with 227x aircraft flown by 242x pilots.Plans are now being drawn up for the 20th Annual Young Aviators event, which has been scheduled for Saturday 12th September 2026 at Deenethorpe Aerodrome. See you all there!!. Onwards and upwards.Andre Faehndrich – Young Aviator Organiser, and STEM Ambassador for over 20 years. The Plane Guy – www.theplaneguy.com