Dreams…The catalyst for achievement
By Eugene Cernan

As a young boy growing up in Chicago during the 1940s, I can vividly remember watching the black-and-white Movietone news reels of World War II footage. I can even remember watching footage of military aviation legends such as Joe Foss, Bob Hoover, and “Tex” Hill.

It was during this period in my life that the seed of a dream was planted within me to someday experience the thrill of landing aboard an aircraft carrier. Little did I know that this dream would one day inspire me to not only accomplish this feat, but would challenge me to go where few men had gone before.

Being well known as “the last man on the moon,” people are often surprised when I tell them that I don’t believe the Wright brothers’ most important legacy is space flight, commercial aviation, or technological advancement. Rather, the lasting contribution made to mankind on that historic day in December 1903 is one of inspiration, motivation, and the excitement found within all of us who follow in the footsteps of Orville and Wilbur Wright.

Since that first flight at Kitty Hawk, aviation has had a romantic hold over our collective imagination. It’s this incredible passion stemming from the Wright brothers’ accomplishment which has been passed on from one generation of dreamers to the next. Yet, unlike so many other things in life which bloom and then fade away, aviation hasn’t come and gone—it has only grown.

This seemingly endless source of inspiration creates a profound affect on each of us, regardless of age. But the dream of flight is most potent in the minds of the young, which is precisely why EAA’s youth education programs are so indispensable. They’re the hook for kids which makes learning fun. And if you can make learning fun, you can teach a child anything. This sense of enjoyment becomes a natural catalyst for young people to want to learn more. The more they learn, the more they want to learn.

Take the EAA Young Eagles program, for instance. It’s not just a free flight experience. Kids want to learn more and do more because of it. What follows is the acquisition of knowledge, discipline, and good judgment. Characteristics that are key to them becoming productive, responsible adults. Don’t we all have a responsibility to provide these tools to kids in order to help them accomplish the things they didn’t think they were capable of?

Growing up, my dad used to tell me “Always do your best.” This is a message I also passed on to my own children, and now my grandchildren. When I hear one of them doubting their potential, my response is the same: “You tell me what you cannot do if you want it badly enough. If I can walk on the moon, you can do anything.”

That sense of endless possibility is one of the reasons the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh air show exists. It features pilots who push the limits of what we think is possible. How often have you seen parents and their children watch in awe as airplanes perform the impossible? But it’s what EAA does the other 51 weeks of the year through programs like Young Eagles, Air Academy, and AeroScholars that’s truly significant. EAA has become the foundation of aviation inspiration. The organization encourages young people to reach for their dreams while instilling the work ethic to achieve them. I’ve always challenged young people to dream the impossible, then go out and make it happen.

Even if we influence just a few kids through aviation, I consider that a worthwhile effort. Passing along the spirit of the Wright brothers to our youth ensures that succeeding generations will continue to dream great things and achieve greater ones. If I’ve learned one lesson during my 72 years on this planet (well, mostly on this planet), it’s that we must always shoot for the moon, because even if we miss, we’ll still land somewhere among the stars.

Pilot

City, State

Flights

Pilot ID

John R. Whelan

Duluth, MN

612

13113

Bill . Irving

Duluth, MN

505

28466

Alan R. White

Superior, WI

435

22525

Thomas A. Betts

Duluth, MN

382

1853

Robert . Sharkey

Esko, MN

315

38556

Greg J. Peterson

Superior, WI

289

22504

Richard A. Nelson

Minong, WI

176

37427

William E. Amorde

Superior, WI

141

36432

James A. Johnson

Duluth, MN

131

908

Lenny . Brunette

Superior, WI

128

35831

Walter E. Gower

Duluth, MN

113

33526

John C. Baesemann

Duluth, MN

106

12539

Betty . Ramsland

Duluth, MN

91

19564

Gail T. Millard

Superior, WI

90

19563

Dale S. Nordwall

Duluth, MN

79

13115

Frank . Tahtinen

Duluth, MN

57

26964

Henry . Sedin

Solon Springs, WI

56

35714

Faris E. Keeling

Duluth, MN

55

30871

Dave Twining

Duluth, MN

50

2082

Jon . Dauplaise

Solon Springs, WI

49

40310

Gene . Marsolek

Duluth, MN

46

28467

Francis J. Kolo

Duluth, MN

40

2081

James E. Hayes

Duluth, MN

37

20775

Lyle Huffman

Duluth, MN

37

2072

Jon . Massier

Superior, WI

36

38567

Glenn Christensen

Duluth, MN

34

13114

David . Bergsland

Superior, WI

30

33527

Jack . Culley

Superior, WI

24

40311

Gail . Baldwin

South Range, WI

18

28462

Jeff . Levine

Duluth, MN

15

39750

Keith . Bischoff

Duluth, MN

14

41233

Carl . Dahlin

Superior, WI

14

38565

Bernie Tanski

Hermantown, MN

13

15798

David M. Evans

Superior, WI

12

23210

Gary L. Lemasters

Proctor, MN

12

41974

Reid . Shallow

Hermantown, MN

12

38555

Jeff . Foster

Hermantown, MN

10

38566

Paul J. Diedrich

Duluth, MN

7

28464

Michael Gardonio

Hermantown, MN

7

5345

Arnold . Odegaard

Cloquet, MN

7

36431

Eric C. Hoagland

Port Wing, WI

6

14834

Glenn McGill

Duluth, MN

6

8947

Gil Buettner

Duluth, MN

5

28463

Rich Johnson

Duluth, MN

5

11009

Clifford E. Santa

Duluth, MN

5

27154

Ross A. Christensen

Maite,

4

19788

Tom . Erchul

Hermantown, MN

4

37426

Jim Brown

Duluth, MN

2

14948