Jake Owsley, EAA 1283935, earned his private pilot certificate on July 10, and since then has been building hours, and studying at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama where he is a first-year student pursuing a degree in professional flight.
Through EAA Chapter 677 and the support of its president, Gary Brossett, Jake was awarded the Ray Aviation Scholarship in May, two months before earning his license.
Through the encouragement of Gary, Jake signed up to fly his very first Young Eagles in a Piper Cherokee on Sunday morning, January 31, in Columbus, Georgia.
“I thought it was really cool seeing how excited the kids were about it, because I remember being in their shoes and being that excited,” Jake said. “And then just watching them come out of the plane after landing and seeing the smiles on their faces, it’s just heartwarming and makes you feel good knowing you can make these kids’ days.”
Jake said it was awesome being able to give back and inspire other youth interested in aviation.
“I could hear them in the back, a little bit, talking to each other about how cool it was being up there and looking down and seeing certain landmarks and stuff like that,” he said. “When we landed, I remember them just smiling. You could see the smiles through their masks and they’re happy.”
You can read more about Jake’s journey in aviation in this post.