By Rebecca Greskoviak, EAA Aviation Foundation Scholarship and Fund Stewardship Coordinator
The newest scholarship coming to EAA is the Joey Ermel “Do Your Impeccable Best” Tailwheel Endorsement Scholarship, to honor the memory and legacy of longtime aviation enthusiast Joseph “Joey” Ermel.
Joey dreamed of flight since he was young, becoming a Young Eagle at age 8 and later an EAA Ray Aviation scholar. He also had the opportunity to attend the EAA Air Academy over the years thanks to the generosity of other EAA mentors, and he attended AirVenture his entire life, making countless memories.
Joey soloed on his 16th birthday in his grandfather’s 1946 Aeronca Champ and his instructor’s 1965 Piper Cherokee, and he earned his private pilot certificate a year later. After receiving his pilot certificate through the Ray Aviation Scholarship sponsored by EAA Chapter 15, Joey immediately started giving back by sharing the gift of flight with other youths through volunteering at his local EAA Chapter 461 and at AirVenture. Joey made EAA history as the first Ray scholar to give Young Eagles flights, being able to share 11 Young Eagles flights.
Joey had a deep passion for flying a classic tailwheel and enjoyed many beautiful cross-country flights across Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin, experiencing the peaceful skies and gorgeous views that only low and slow flight offers. He was thrilled to be able to take anyone up for a flight and loved sharing the joy of tailwheel flying.
The Joey Ermel “Do Your Impeccable Best” Tailwheel Endorsement Scholarship was created by his mother, Aymee Zimmerman, to help a pilot earn a tailwheel endorsement. It is important to Joey’s family that the recipient be involved with the Young Eagles program either as a student or as a pilot, be involved in their local EAA chapter, and have a strong passion for flying tailwheel aircraft.
It is his family’s hope that Joey’s scholarship will help to inspire other youths or interested adults to not only appreciate the beauty of classic flight, but to encourage others to give back to their EAA chapters and the aviation community. Joey’s life and legacy remind us every day to “keep soaring and do your impeccable best.”
If you are interested in making a donation to Joey’s Tailwheel Scholarship, donations can be directed to Becca Greskoviak at the EAA Aviation Foundation.
To learn more about our scholarships, visit EAA.org/Scholarships, or to donate to our scholarship funds, visit EAA.org/Donate.