By Ella Lucas, EAA 1518806, Chapter 76
This summer, Lucas Garcia and I were selected for the Cajun Aviation Camp Scholarship. Every year they choose one guy and one girl for this scholarship. Once I saw that they posted our blurbs about ourselves to their website, I immediately went to read about the other person that was also gifted this opportunity. Initially when I read the other recipient’s name, I chuckled a bit. His name was Lucas Garcia which was a 50-percent match with my name (Ella Lucas). That was the first surreal part of this experience.
Who am I, and who is this other Lucas?
Ella Lucas: I got into aviation by random chance, or maybe by fate. If you want the backstory, please check it out here: The Love Triangle (EAA.org). It has been a great fit. I love the feeling of being in the air, the beauty of the aircraft, and the people that are involved. It gives me hope to travel the world, an endless challenge to learn about the craft and a subject I enjoy writing about.
Lucas Garcia: He’s lived near an Air Force base for most of his life because his dad is an aircraft mechanic. He liked the thought of flying with cool people and that he could “make bank.”
How did we end up in this spot?
Ella: One of the leaders of EAA Chapter 76 (Los Angeles), Peter Hurley, reached out to me and encouraged me to apply, which I am so grateful for. This scholarship is not a very well-known one, so I hope my article encourages others to apply and have the opportunity for the incredible experience.
Lucas: A family friend advised him of the opportunity. He’s always had a hard time applying for scholarships for aviation because so many of them are located in the United States, and you are generally unable to apply if you are out of the country. He has tried with other scholarships and was unable to apply because he’s in Germany, so he’s very grateful for the opportunity.
What was Oshkosh like?
Ella & Lucas: We remember everything in snapshots. The crazy fair food (cheese curd tacos). Meeting “superheroes.” The airplanes. The daytime air shows. The nighttime air shows (with fireworks!).
The top photo is probably the best photo I’ve ever taken, and it doesn’t capture how spectacular the fireworks/pyrotechnic/airplanes with the drones were. Sponsored airplanes are cool, but I didn’t realize that most of them are owned by individuals who sell their “flying billboards.” I thought the corporations just bought them.
Both of us are planning to go again, hopefully next year. We will definitely plan to stay there longer. We walked through a fraction of the convention in two days (and had 20,000 steps on our fitness app) and it was sensory overload. There were so many things to see, so many people to talk to, so many things to buy, and not enough time or money for such an epic event. Words don’t do it justice. If you are into any aspect of aviation, this is THE event to go to.
What was Air Academy like?
Ella & Lucas: The camp activities started the Monday after we attended Oshkosh. It went SO fast. We got to do welding, build wing ribs, and craft a propeller. We flew in a helicopter, took classes, and explored the EAA Aviation Museum. I’m going out on a limb and saying that it’s impossible to top going to Oshkosh. This camp came as close as you can get.
We were with kindred spirits. Adventurous, outgoing future aviators from around the world who are on different but similar journeys. I felt bad for the people running the camp, as safety and responsibility don’t necessarily mix well with high-energy, risk-embracing thrill-seekers.
And before we knew it, camp was over. We never got homesick. We had to set alarm reminders to send our parents a text.
Our entry into real life was okay because we had a renewed sense of purpose, a respect for the size of the aviation community, and we (the five amigos) have kept in touch regularly since then.
What was your favorite part about the camp?
Ella: Being surrounded by people who you automatically have something in common with was one of the best things. I know I will be seeing these people in the future. I have a group chat with some of the people I got close to, and I’m planning a road trip next summer. I’m excited to see them all excel in aviation. We can be there to support each other, and, who knows, maybe end up at the same college for aviation. Or end up working for the same airline or company.
Lucas: “My favorite part about camp was meeting all of you guys, getting to know the other scholarship recipient (Ella), and attending the air shows. I especially loved seeing the F-16 and F-18s in action. I also liked seeing an F-15, that was super cool.”
What are your plans from here?
Ella: One of the girls I met was not interested in flying at all, but rather she wanted to be the one building the airplanes. She became my closest friend at camp. It makes me think about the possibilities. What if we end up starting a school of some sorts, and we combine our talents/degrees?
Before going to camp I knew I wanted to fly, but I wasn’t sure what path I was going to take to get there. If you had asked me before I would’ve said I was leaning toward just trying to get my commercial certificate through a flight school rather than going to college. After camp, it made me realize that I want to go to a college for aviation or something aviation related. The reason being is in the long run its most likely going to be cheaper, and I will be able to get a better job with my degree and the experiences I will gain by going to college. I think about how college will be sort of like a four-year camp, with more tests. I will be surrounded by those trying to achieve the same goal as me, trying to graduate and be a pilot or in that field. So, I will learn better because I am surrounded by people with similar goals.
I need to be in some sort of aviation field. I don’t know if that means being a commercial airline pilot, charter pilot, or doing aviation mechanics, but I know I want to do something in that field.
Lucas: He is planning to attend college in New Mexico, but he’s not sure what he will major in. Then he wants to join the Air Force to become a pilot and eventually retire from the Air Force. Assuming all goes to plan, he wants to get some aviation training done while in college, then commission into the USAF as a pilot (fighter or cargo) following graduation. After he retires, he wouldn’t mind switching to the commercial side of aviation with some regional airline.
Closing words:
Lucas and I are both extremely grateful for this experience. For the people we were able to meet, the opportunities we were able to pursue, and to see what the future holds for both of us. Thank you to everyone who made this possible!
