Interview with Jazmin Stamper

Hello, my name is Jazmin C. Stamper, and I’m 16 years old. I currently have no pilot’s license, or an airplane for that matter. I was born in Sequim and have lived here since. When I was growing up, I never really thought much about what I was going to be, but I knew it had something to do with arts and crats. Ater going to the EAA Young Eagles and taking my first small aircrat flight, there was something about flying that made me want to pursue it and do more with it. Other than aviation, I make polymer clay gnomes on wood rounds and polymer clay dragons. I sell them at a consignment shop in Sequim. I also like to listen to music and love to learn about nature.

The last EAA Young Eagles flight I went on was in July or August 2024 and I was flying with Ray Ballantyne. Ater he took off, he let me fly his airplane along the flight path. Along the way, he flew the plane up and down so I could feel it. Going down and the feeling of the plane falling faster than you are was a weird feeling, yet very fun to experience. As we were starting our descent towards the runway, we were too high, so he did a forward slip to lose altitude. It was the same feeling but more concerning since we were closer to the ground, and to finish it off, it was a nice landing. I love the feeling of being in the air, the feeling of not having to worry about the world below, and being in the moment. I think the best part of aviation is even if you have a scary, hard, or difficult experience while flying the aircrat or as a passenger, you will always be back for more.