HIGH FLYING EDITION. Vol. 7, No. 3. In this Issue: The Lone Eagle Honorary Scouts Air Scouts Aviation Merit Badge Model Airplanes

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1 Vol. 7, No. 3 HIGH FLYING EDITION In this Issue: The Lone Eagle Honorary Scouts Air Scouts Aviation Merit Badge Model Airplanes Aviation has drawn Scouts to the dream of flight since the BSA s earliest days. Boys knew of the Wright brothers 1903 successes at Kitty Hawk. They looked up and saw biplanes in the sky. Flying fueled their imaginations as they yearned for ways they could be up there, too.

2 THE LONE EAGLE An achievement that energized Scouting s fascination with flying occurred in 1927 when Charles Lindbergh became the first to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. Completing the 33-hour flight from Long Island, New York, to Paris, France, Lindbergh landed to find himself famous. James E. West, the BSA s Chief Scout Executive, sent this telegram on behalf of the entire organization: The congratulations of eight hundred and forty thousand Scouts on your achievement so splendidly typifying the spirit of American Youth. Lindbergh replied, Tell the Boy Scouts I am with them. The dashing young pilot soon appeared on the cover of Boys Life magazine:

3 Lindbergh flew around America in the Spirit of St. Louis promoting aviation, met everywhere by enormous crowds. They called him Lucky Lindy, and The Lone Eagle. Boy Scouts often served as escorts for Charles Lindbergh and helped local officials manage the throngs of wellwishers.

4 Postage stamps honored Lindbergh, both near the time of his flight and in years to come:

5 Among the many books published about Charles Lindbergh was The Lone Scout of the Sky, penned by Chief Scout Executive James E. West and published by the Boy Scouts of America. Dr. West wrote that Lindbergh was the embodiment of the Scout Oath, that he was the finest illustration that had ever stood before the Boy Scouts of America, of one who fulfilled its promise and kept himself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight. In light of his achievements, the BSA named Charles Lindbergh an Honorary Scout. HONORARY SCOUTS In 1928 the BSA national council established a new recognition Honorary Scout. James West explained it this way: Honorary Scouts American citizens whose achievement in outdoor activity, exploration and worthwhile adventure are of such an exceptional character as to capture the imagination and stimulate their enthusiasm for the outdoor program of the Boy Scouts of America. Eighteen men were selected as the first Honorary Scouts, including aviation pioneers Charles Lindbergh and Orville Wright. Roy Chapman Andrews Captain Bob Bartlett Frederick R. Burnham Richard E. Byrd George K. Cherry James L. Clark Merion Cooper Lincoln Ellsworth Louis Fuertes George Bird Grinnell Donald McMillan Clifford H. Pope George Palmer Putnam Kermit Roosevelt Karl Rungius Stewart Edward White Orville Wright Charles Lindbergh

6 The honorees were well-known adventurers, explorers, naturalists, and writers. Orville Wright, of course, was an aviation pioneer. Robert Bennett was an Antarctic explorer. So was Richard Byrd, who had gained fame for his 1926 flight over the Arctic. Admiral Byrd flew over the South Pole in Eagle Scout Paul Siple on his support team, the first of the BSA s Antarctic Scouts. In granting Charles Lindbergh the status of Honorary Scout, James West and BSA national president Walter W. Head told the young flier that:

7 Your splendid record of courage and confidence, based upon thorough preparation, and the qualities of character you have since manifested, so thoroughly harmonize with what we desire to have set before the boyhood of America as an ideal, that we are greatly pleased to confer upon you this honor. Despite the fanfare surrounding the announcement of the BSA s first eighteen Honorary Scouts, the recognition was never granted again. Charles Lindbergh was, perhaps fittingly, the last to receive the honor. AIR SCOUTS Addressing boys interest in aviation, the BSA launched the Air Scouts program in Instead of troops or posts, members formed squadrons and learned about flight dynamics and the ground operations of aircraft. Their uniforms were patterned after those of active pilots and other flight personnel.

8 Air Scouts also had their own leadership and specialist designations: Ranks paralleled those of Boy Scouts, but with propellers embroidered into the badges. A handful of Air Scout merit badges encouraged exploration of aircraft design, construction, and operation.

9 In 1949, Air Scouts became Air Explorers, and in 1966 were folded into the BSA s Explorer program for older youth. Scouts today can still develop an understanding of flight by earning the Aviation merit badge. AVIATION MERIT BADGE One of the original 51 merit badges, the Aviation award has intrigued Scouts for well over a century. The earliest requirements asked Scouts to gain knowledge of aeroplanes, balloons, and dirigibles, then build a model of one of them and fly it at least 25 yards. They also needed to construct kites that would fly.

10 Dirigibles and balloons are gone from today s Aviation merit badge requirements. Instead, Scouts can experience flight simulators, visit airfields, learn about aircraft instrumentation, and take a flight in an aircraft. MODEL AIRPLANES A favorite way to celebrate flying is by building model aircraft. It has also always been a way to fulfill a requirement for the Aviation merit badge. Whether from scratch or from kits, airplane models allow their makers to get acquainted with the details of flying machines.

11 James West s book about Charles Lindbergh included plans for constructing a scale model of an airplane similar to the Spirit of St. Louis. With a rubber band-powered propeller, it was intended to fly. At Scoutstuff.org, you ll find a simple wooden model of the Spirit of St. Louis that you can build in a few minutes and enjoy for a long time to come:

12 And the real Spirit of St. Louis? See it aloft in the main lobby of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC: (This edition of the Be Prepared Newsletter was developed and written by Robert Birkby, author of the current editions of the Boy Scout Handbook, Fieldbook, Scout Stuff, The Conservation Handbook, and Eagle Scouts: A Centennial History.)

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