When you're 1,000 feet above the ground in a small, four-seat airplane, there's not enough time to be scared.

After all, there's just too much to look at.

"A lot of kids face the fears that they have so when they go on a commercial flight with their parents, they can see that there's nothing to be scared of," said pilot Jeff Dukeman of Sanford, as he effortlessly circled around Rocky-Mount Wilson Airport on Saturday afternoon.

The two young Rocky Mount boys seated behind him had their eyes fixed to the small widows, watching the landscape roll out as the plane climbed.

"It expands the children's horizon with something this big," he said, as he pointed to the skies. "It lets them know that the world is bigger."

Dukeman and a handful of other pilots were at the airport taxiing young passengers around the skies as part of Aviation Fun Day.

The event – sponsored in conjunction with the Raleigh Chapter 1114 Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles program, the Civil Air Patrol, the Wilson RC Model Aircraft Club and the airport – gave children the opportunity to go on a short flight around the airport.

For most, it was the first time in an airplane.

Local Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts also had the opportunity to earn their aviation and flight merit badges.

Emily Stacy, 10, a member of Girl Scout Troop 61 in Zebulon, earned her flight merit badge during her second-ever flight in an airplane.

"It was very exciting," Stacy said, holding her Young Eagles certificate. "There was a little bit of turbulence, but not too much. I'm glad I came out."

Each child who flew throughout the day was issued an EAA Young Eagle certificate. The certificate is in recognition of completing the flight and lists the child's name in the Young Eagles logbook, dubbed "The World's Largest Logbook."

To date, the program has logged more than 1.3 million Young Eagles who have participated in the free flights.

On Saturday, more than 150 children flew in the program.

Besides providing children with a free flight, the Young Eagles program introduces flying to youngsters, said Tammy Hutto, an EAA Young Eagles volunteer of Elm City.

"The kids get to learn about aviation," Hutto said. "I've seen a lot of kids that start here and then go on to get their pilot's license.

Though the weather was chilly with scattered showers, an estimated 300 people flooded the airport's lobby by mid-morning Saturday, said Hans Hess, the airport's manager.

"It gets the public out to the airport to view the facility," Hess said. "Most people don't have a reason to come to the airport. It promotes aviation enthusiasm. We've had some challenges with the weather, but it's gone really well."

Hess added that he hopes to continue hosting the event on a yearly basis.