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SAWYER -- Dozens of young kids traveled to Sawyer International Airport Saturday to get a hands on piloting experience.

It's all a part of the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles program. Kids 8 to 17 years old were taken up in the air for free 20-minute flights around the area. The purpose is to spark interest in flying and to encourage careers in aviation. The experience is meant to be both fun and educational. EAA pilots taught them the finer points of flying, the parts of the plane, and what it takes to be a pilot.

"The pilots provide their expenses, their aircraft, their fuel. It's free to the kids, and I've never ever had a problem getting pilots. The pilots love it as much, if not more than, the kids. It's something we love and it's something we want to share with the kids," said Ted Kirkpatrick, a coordinator.

The EAA will have another Young Eagles free flight day later in the summer.