By Eric Wegner, EAA 329302, EAA Chapter 320 (Watertown, Wisconsin) President
EAA Chapter 320’s 2025 Ray Aviation Scholarship recipient is Riley Runke, EAA 1655190. Receiving this scholarship is a big deal worth recognizing and celebrating, but that’s only part of the story. There’s something really cool happening at Chapter 320 this year. Riley’s father, William “Will” Runke, EAA 1655188, will also be taking flying lessons along with Riley.
Will has always been interested in aviation and often thought of earning his pilot certificate. When Riley applied for and received the Ray Aviation Scholarship, a plan was hatched, and William decided to pull the trigger and start taking lessons alongside her. He wanted to make it a father-daughter deal and do it together. How cool is that?! What a unique and wonderful lifelong memory they will be making. We at Chapter 320 are extremely proud to be a part of this and helping make their dreams a reality.
As Will and Riley progress through this journey together, they will document their experience. This will be fascinating to see unfold because the pathway may be the same, but for a 17-year-old girl and her 42-year-old father the perspectives will be totally different. The journey toward earning a private pilot certificate is filled with highs and lows as some things come easy and some things require a little more determination and perseverance to get through it. It will be so enjoyable to be on this journey with them and to hear and see it through their differing viewpoints.
Will and Riley live in Watertown, so they will be doing their flight training through Wisconsin Aviation at Watertown Municipal Airport RYV. Our member and chapter secretary, Sam Treffinger, EAA 1170116, will be their flight instructor. Sam has been in on it from the beginning when the joint training idea was hatched; in fact, he deserves credit for coming up with the idea. Being the father of three girls himself and a true “girl dad”, Sam is excited to be literally alongside them on this epic journey. I’m sure it’ll be just as interesting and rewarding for Sam as it will be for Will and Riley.
Please join me in congratulating Riley on her earning the Ray Scholarship. Let us all get behind both Riley and Will and show them how great it is to be a member of the 320 family. Let them know that they have our support, encouragement, and shared love of aviation as they make their pathway to the sky.