Local children will get a chance to experience Dowagiac from hundreds of feet in the sky this week.

The Dowagiac Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 1028 will host its annual Young Eagle Program from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Dowagiac Municipal Airport, 710 W. Prairie Ronde St. Children and teenagers, ages 8 through 17, will receive a free plane ride from one of the EAA chapter’s pilots that morning.

Participants must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Volunteers will accommodate children or teenagers with disabilities.

The morning will kick off with registration inside the airport terminal building. EAA members will give a brief lesson about the science behind flight before taking participants up in the skies for a 15-minute plane ride, said Oscar Azevedo, Dowagiac’s airport manager.

“The idea is expose youngsters to the world of aviation,” Azevedo said. “For most of them, this will be their first time flying in a small-engine aircraft.”

Priority will be given to first-time participants, though everyone will have a chance to ride, Azevedo said.

Azevedo expects around six pilots to volunteer their wings for Saturday’s event, who will be flying single- or dual-engine civilian aircrafts. Participating pilots have been certified through the EAA’s Youth Protection Program, which includes extensive training and background checks.

Dowagiac is one of many EAA chapters participating in the Young Eagle Program. Founded in 1992, the program has given free plane rides to more than 2 million children across the U.S.

Last year’s event in Dowagiac was a tremendous hit, with more than 100 children signing up to participate, Azevedo said.

“The best feedback we get is right after the children hop out of the plane, and they say ‘wow,’ with a big grin on their faces,” Azevedo said. “That is the biggest reward we get out of this.”

For more information, people may contact the airport at (269) 782-4936.