The Young Aviators group relaunched in June 2026, and since that time, membership has grown. The program is geared toward kids and teens, aged six through high school, who love or have an interest in aviation, providing them opportunities to get up close and personal with aircraft, attend educational meetings, and connect with people in the industry. Also, those who may have never considered the trade are encouraged to attend a group meeting to learn more about the wide range of opportunities as a career.
“You don’t have to want to be a pilot to be interested in aviation. There are so many opportunities in aviation that most people never think of,” said Brandi Cupples, who volunteers with the group. “You can be an aircraft mechanic, aerospace engineer, air traffic controller, safety inspector, and so much more!”
The Young Aviators group was started by Dorene Avritt, and some others who are no longer involved, before Covid-19. Like so many in-person groups, the Young Aviators became another causality as their participation declined. Eventually, the group stopped meeting.
“My son and I had gone to a meeting once and I reached out to Mrs. Dorene to see if she wanted to start the group back up. She asked for some help promoting the meetings and organizing and I stepped in to help. I made some posts on Facebook and had a wonderful response,” said Brandi. “My son’s love of airplanes has inspired me to help him, and other children get excited about aviation. I haven’t found any other group around Jackson giving kids the ability to get up close to these planes and helicopters like ours does.”
The group meets at The Jackson Regional Airport in Jackson, Tennessee at 1 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month. At this time, there is no cost to families to participate, which Brandi hopes they are able to continue. Group updates are shared on the West Tennessee Young Aviators group Facebook page, so parents can keep up with scheduled events and activities.
“We have educational meetings where we learn about everything aviation from the phonetic alphabet to parts of a plane. Our October meeting will be focusing on the four forces of flight. We have been on a field trip to the Army Aviation Support Facility and various places around The Jackson Regional Airport. We saw several types of planes, jets, and helicopters,” said Brandi. “We are in communication with the local Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) to help us have more connections, go on greater field trips, and look to the sky. The EAA is known for its Young Eagle flights, which can provide a free flight for kids. Our members can expect great things to come.”
For now, one of the goals of the group is to increase membership, so more education experiences and greater field trips can be offered.
“The more interest our group shows, the more potential we have for some really amazing opportunities for our young aviators. Potential field trips may include a trip to the FedEx Facility and flight simulator in Memphis, as well as a trip to the control tower, the aircraft mechanic shop, and much more! The EAA also has an opportunity next summer in July for kids, aged 14-16, to attend day camp at the Fayette County Airport in Somerville,” said Brandi.
A personal goal Brandi has for the group is to increase participation of girls.
“I want to inspire young women to be interested in the field as well. There are not a lot of women in the field currently, but I think that can change with the right motivation and education. Women and girls can do anything they put their mind to. We may be looking into getting guest speakers from the 99’s, which is an international organization of women pilots,” said Brand, who shared her overall desire for the group. “I hope the kids learn and get inspired by our guest speakers and pilots to maybe someday get involved in an aviation career.”
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