|
|
You Can Fly Awards 21 High School Scholarships
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has awarded $5,000 flight training scholarships to 21 high school students through the association’s You Can Fly High School Aviation Initiative. The scholarships awarded to students age 15 to 18 who intend to earn an initial pilot certificate were made possible by donations to the AOPA Foundation.
The 13 young men and eight young women awarded scholarships were selected from a pool of more than 300 applicants. AOPA’s High School Aviation Initiative is part of You Can Fly, an umbrella program created to bring more people into aviation by educating high school students about aviation career opportunities, helping lapsed pilots return to flying, lowering barriers to entry, reducing the cost of flying, and building the aviation community, You Can Fly is helping people of all ages get involved with aviation.
Each scholarship recipient will also receive a gift certificate for MYGOFLIGHT products, made possible by MYGOFLIGHT’s Pilot ONE scholarship assist program to help more people become pilots.
“Providing flight training scholarships for high school students not only helps them achieve their lifelong dreams of becoming a pilot, it can help build career-ready skills that get them well on their way to their future,” said Cindy Hasselbring, senior director of the You Can Fly High School Aviation Initiative. “We couldn’t be more pleased with our winners, and these individuals have already demonstrated a strong passion for aviation. Many of them are already involved in giving back to aviation by volunteering or serving at local airports, high school clubs, or in their communities.”
As part of the high school initiative, AOPA is working with Purdue University to build aviation STEM curricula that fit within career and technical education (CTE) pathways and are focused on piloting, aerospace engineering, aviation technology, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or drones. AOPA also hosts an annual high school STEM symposium to give teachers and administrators an opportunity to share best practices and network with other aviation education professionals.
Read about the scholarship winners.
|
|
Aviation Students Earn Scholarships
Ten students enrolled in Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s nationally recognized aviation programs received scholarships during the recent fall aviation banquet.
The 17 awards totaled $32,800, and ranged from $1,000 to $3,800. Students’ academic achievements served as the focal point at the annual banquet, held at the university’s Transportation Education Center at Southern Illinois Airport.
Mark Jackson, director and chief pilot of Boeing Executive Flight Operations, was the keynote speaker. The Aviation Management Society, a registered student organization, sponsors the banquet. Some of the scholarships honor SIU Carbondale graduates and all support students in the aviation flight, aviation management and aviation technologies programs. The programs are part of the College of Applied Sciences and Arts.
Scholarship winners, by hometown, year in school, and major, are:
Illinois
- Bolingbrook: Arie Molina, senior, aviation management, George J. Priester Memorial Scholarship; C. Gene and Robbi Seibert Aviation Management Scholarship, and the Steven Staples Memorial Aviation Scholarship.
- Geneva: Dalton Thompson, junior, aviation flight, Matthew K. Meier Faith Family Friendship Fortitude Future Aviation Management Scholarship;
- Lake Oswego: Xavier Blake, senior, aviation flight, Michael R. Peters Aviation Interviews.com Aviation Scholarship.
- Marseilles: Schuyler Parks, sophomore, aviation flight, Kevin Moore Memorial Scholarship, and the Michael R. Peters Aviation Interviews.com Aviation Scholarship.
- McHenry: Nicholas Higgin, junior, aviation flight, Joseph A. Messina II Aviation Explorers Scholarship for Aviation Students, and the Michael R. Peters Aviation Interviews.com Aviation Scholarship.
- Minooka: Danielle Dobczyk, senior, aviation management, Larry B. Byerly Memorial Scholarship, and the Michael R. Peters Aviation Interviews.com Aviation Scholarship.
- Monmouth: Tucker Shepherd, sophomore, aviation flight, Kevin Moore Memorial Scholarship, and the Michael R. Peters Aviation Interviews.com Aviation Scholarship.
- Rockton: Ian Griffith, sophomore, aviation flight, Hope FLYs Scholarship, and the James and Helen Newby Aviation Scholarship.
Missouri
- Imperial: Kaleb Cheek, senior, aviation management, Michael R. Peters Aviation Interviews.com Aviation Scholarship.
- Poplar Bluff: Travis Schofield, senior, aviation management, Michael R. Peters Aviation Interviews.com Aviation Scholarship.
|
|
2017 Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) is Underway
TARC is an aerospace design and engineering event for teams of US secondary school students (7th through 12th grades) run by the NAR and the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). Teams can be sponsored by schools or by non-profit youth organizations such as Scouts, 4-H, or Civil Air Patrol (but not the NAR or other rocketry organizations). The goal of TARC is to motivate students to pursue aerospace as an exciting career field, and it is co-sponsored by the American Association of Physics Teachers, Estes Industries, the Department of Defense, and NASA.
The first fourteen Team America Rocketry Challenges, held in 2003 through 2016, were the largest model rocket contests ever held. Co-sponsored by the NAR and the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), the events together attracted over 8,955 high-school teams made up of a total of over 60,000 students from all 50 states. These students had a serious interest in learning about aerospace design and engineering through model rocketry. The top 100 teams each year came to a final fly-off competition in mid May near Washington, DC, to compete for $100,000 in prizes and a free trip to either the Paris or the Farnborough air show in Europe. These teams were selected based on the scores reported from qualification flights that they conducted locally throughout the US.
The 2017 Challenge brings a new difficulty to the competition: teams must transition between two different body tube diameters. Rockets must carry one raw egg to 775 feet and back safely in 41-43 seconds, returning it in a separate section. National finalist teams will be expected to fly their rocket to a second higher target.
Although registration for the 2017 Team America Rocketry Challenge closed December 2, 2016 and the TARC Essay Contest deadline has passed, there is still time to enter these two remaining competitions:
Engineering Notebook Competition:
The Engineering Notebook Contest is back again this year. You can read the rules hereand see the notebook from the Odle Middle School Space Potatoes that won the 2016 contest. Even if you don't submit your notebook for the contest, we encourage you to keep one. Building an engineering notebook will help you keep organized and analyze your data. It's not a coincidence that the Space Potatoes went on to win TARC 2016 and the International Rocketry Challenge. Entries will be judged by engineers from TARC sponsor companies and the winning team will be awarded a cash prize.
Team Outreach Competition:
The TARC Outreach Competition will also continue this season. The competition provides an opportunity to show off your team's work getting others involved with rocketry and STEM. The team with the best TARC Outreach Competition score that submitted a valid set of qualifying flights (sorry DQs do not count), but did not make the top 100 teams by flight score, will earn a spot to compete in the National Finals and will be eligible to compete for prize money just like all the other teams. We will also award a prize at the National Finals to the team with the best overall outreach program. Teams in the top 100 are eligible for this award too. You can read full details here.
|
|
UAS4STEM Application Deadline Is December 31st!
UAS4STEM is a STEM-based program from the Academy of Model Aeronautics’ Education Department. The challenge is designed to encourage students to explore the sUAS (drone) phenomenon through teamwork, competition, and success through STEM. Each team will receive a carbon fiber multi rotor kit, autopilot system, RC system, video system, batteries, charger, as well as a full online curriculum and an online video series designed to get the teams flying successfully. The ground schools courses provided will also prepare students to take the new FAA commercial UAS exam. The mission is as follows: A small group of hikers has gone missing in a remote area.
Although rescuers have determined a search area, they are unsure of the exact location and conditions of the hikers. Your team has been called upon to provide rapid response using a small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) that can support the search-and-rescue mission. Competitions will be held in the Spring of 2017, and each team will have the opportunity to win a $2500 prize. Application deadline is December 31st, 2016. For more information, please visit UAS4STEM.ORG
|
|
|
|
|
|
As Deputy Director Aerospace Education, Dr. Montgomery has been a team member and now leader of the Aerospace Education division at the Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters in Montgomery, AL, where he has worked for the last 22 years. 
