Naturally, pilots at the EAA headquarters in Oshkosh, WI, wanted to share the fun. The best way to do it was to have an airplane dedicated to the Young Eagles program, and since this was, the EAA, it made sense that the airplane should be a homebuilt. Stoddard Hamilton lead the way by donating a Glastar kit. Over the next 18 months, volunteers at Oshkosh assembled the airplane and began flying local youth whenever they could.

As the Glastar was being built, Van’s joined the effort by donating an RV-6A QuickBuild Kit. The kit was delivered in February 1997. EAA Director of Flight Operations Joe Schumacher oversaw the volunteer crews who built the airplane. Van sent Ken Scott to Pioneer Airport, on the EAA grounds at Oshkosh, to spend a few days helping out and get the project off on the right foot. In July, the airplane made it’s first flight, and in September, less than nine months after Van’s had shipped the kit, the airplane returned to North Plains under its own power, flying into Van’s Homecoming.

By November, 1999, N6YE had logged over 900 hours and more than 2000 landings. About 1000 Young Eagles had been introduced to flying and several students in the EAA’s Summer Academy program had completed most of their requirements for a Recreational Pilot’s License in the airplane. The RV-6A has proved so successful that another one is virtually complete and should join the Young Eagles program in early 2000.