17-year-old Ray scholar John Barber completed his checkride on June 22, officially becoming the first 2022 scholar to complete training and earn their certificate.
On April 16, 2021, EAA Chapter 501’s first Ray Aviation Scholarship was awarded to Beck Youngberg, EAA 1389108. On May 3, 2022, he successfully completed his practical examination for a ... Read more
Joshua Owsley, EAA 1283936, a Ray scholar from EAA Chapter 677 who passed his checkride on October 2, passed another exciting milestone — flying his first Young Eagles!
On December 17, 2021, I officially became a pilot. Fittingly, it was the 118th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first successful flight of a powered airplane. I have a personal ... Read more
Jake landed an airplane for the first time at age 13 on July 1, 2019. Last week he turned 16 and on October 30 the weather allowed him to experience ... Read more
On June 12, 2021, Ray Aviation Scholarship recipient Cheyenne Fuoco soloed at the Hartford-Brainard Airport in Hartford, Connecticut, in a Cessna 172R.
Lily Busenbark, EAA 1293705, has dreamed of flying Young Eagles before she even had her pilot certificate in hand. Lily’s first exposure to aviation was in August 2018 when she ... Read more
Jack Claude Bartholet, EAA 1021797, is a flying octogenarian, having recently turned 80. On May 12, 2021, he celebrated 50 years of soaring through the sky.
EAA Chapter 1 celebrated a huge milestone on November 21, 2020, when its Ray Aviation Scholarship recipient, 18-year-old Patricia Kackert, EAA 1380209, made her first solo flight.
I would not have been able to receive my private or tailwheel endorsement without the guidance and help of EAA and the Tinker Murdoch Scholarship, and I am extraordinarily thankful ... Read more
As a 2020 recipient of the Elgin Wells, Jr. Starjammer CFI Scholarship, this past year I was able to complete my CFI rating. Achieving my CFI rating was one of ... Read more
I remember being excited, nervous, and anxious the first time I got in the left seat at the controls. I knew right after takeoff that this was something I wanted. ... Read more
I recently earned my Commercial ASEL certificate in my father’s 1948 Luscombe 8E in January 2021 with the help of EAA and the United Airlines Flight Operations Pilot Scholarship.
I have always been interested in becoming a private pilot, but something seemed to always get in the way. With the pandemic, I could not think of a more perfect ... Read more
I am excited to say I officially became a pilot on December 22, 2020, and I cannot express how happy I am. Receiving the scholarship took the worry out of ... Read more
When I first learned that I was chosen for one of the scholarships I had difficulty believing it. With the help of the scholarship, I was able to finance and ... Read more
All of my hard work had paid off and my dream of being a pilot came true. When I returned to my home airport, my instructor and parents were waiting ... Read more
Rocklin, California, resident Hannah Treehan, EAA 1371080, celebrated a momentous milestone for a 16-year-old when she soloed on Tuesday, November 24, just two days before Thanksgiving.
It’s been slightly more than seven years since I obtained my private pilot’s license. I always knew I wanted to continue my training beyond that and the instrument rating was ... Read more
On July 2, 21-year-old Mac Copeland took another step toward joining the ranks of two generations of pilots before him by successfully soloing in a Cessna 172.
Congratulations to Piper Hechtl on her first solo! Piper, EAA 1166354, soloed a Cessna 152 on May 5 at Tracy Municipal Airport in Tracy, California. Piper began her flight training ... Read more
Congratulations to EAA Vintage Chapter 25 Ray Aviation Scholarship recipient Tyler Pierson on his first, second, third, and fourth solo! Tyler soloed four times, at four different airports, in the ... Read more
Congratulations to EAA Chapter 976 Ray Aviation Scholarship recipient Tabitha Yeomans, EAA 1204058, who passed her private pilot checkride on January 12!
I passed my private pilot checkride, ultimately earning my certificate in less than seven months and contributing to the overall success of the Ray Aviation Foundation.
Lily Busenbark, EAA 1293705, achieved a Ray scholar milestone on November 22, 2019, when she soloed in a PA-28-140 Cherokee at the Columbus Airport (KCSG) in Georgia.
After five active years with EAA Chapter 534’s weekly youth program following his Young Eagles flight, Mateo Colmenero, age 18, was awarded the chapter’s first $10,000 Ray Aviation Scholarship in ... Read more
By Barbara A. Schmitz Flying Musicians is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2019, all while singing the praises of pilots who perform. John Zapp, president and CEO, said the idea ... Read more
With flying season finally in full swing for most of the country, the Ray Aviation Scholarship program is celebrating a number of first solos this week!
It’s dawn in the desert. In the gray early morning light Stratolaunch, the largest airplane ever built, hulks silently at the opposite end of the 12,503-by 200-foot runway.
Congratulations to 17-year-old Braden Hobbs, one of the HAWK kids profiled in the April issue of Sport Aviation, on passing his private pilot checkride!
Congratulations to Olivia Cardwell, EAA 1259093, who received her private pilot certificate with single-engine, multi-engine, and instrument ratings on her 17th birthday.
Congratulations to Ben Van Handel, EAA 1145612, who soloed in a Cessna 172 on Saturday, September 9 after spending the summer interning with EAA’s Young Eagles program.
Congratulations to Peter Rodopoulos, EAA 1194583, who recently passed his private pilot checkride in a Cessna 152 on his 17th birthday. This is just one box checked on a long ... Read more
Congratulations to Braden Holman, EAA 1134015, who soloed in a Cessna 150 and RV-9A in addition to earning his driver’s license on his 16th birthday, August 2. Braden said he ... Read more
Dozens of Piper Cubs landed as a group at Wittman Regional Airport Sunday morning in celebration of the type’s 80th anniversary, including one flown by 14-year-old Kyle Carden with help ... Read more
Congratulations to Jimmy O’Brien, EAA 618685, who passed his IA (inspection authorization) exam in June with a near perfect score. His journey as an A&P began in 2010 when he ... Read more
Congratulations to 16-year-old Danielle Olson, EAA 784715, who soloed Memorial Day weekend after nearly lifelong preparation for the moment. Danielle’s aviation journey began with a flight at just 5 weeks ... Read more
Congratulations to Young Eagle Madison Malcomb, EAA 1207213, who soloed on her 16th birthday on April 19 in an experimental RV-12 after just 10 hours of instruction.
Congratulations to Russell Swartzfager, EAA 1161378, who passed his private pilot checkride on February 28 out of the Crystal River Airport (KCGC) in Florida.
Congratulations to EAA staffer Hal Bryan, EAA 638979, for completing his first Pilots N Paws rescue flight on November 12 with his wife, Muffy. Hal flew from Oshkosh to Jasper ... Read more
Congratulations to Chapter 444 President Brad Hahn, EAA 1098593, who successfully completed his first solo March 28 at the Waupaca County Airport. “Thanks to everyone that has helped me along this ... Read more
Congratulations and thank you to Chapter 939 President Rich Largent, EAA 512497, who recently flew his 1,300th Young Eagle, 20 years after he began flying for the program in 1997. ... Read more
Congratulations to Edward L. Hasch Jr., EAA 237979, who was presented with the FAA’s Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award on March 8 at the Nashville FSDO. Ed spent 46 years ... Read more
Many congratulations to EAA’s 2 millionth Young Eagle, Jodie Gawthrop, EAA 1108302, who completed her first solo on March 9, less than a year after her flight with former Young ... Read more
Michael Smith, EAA 1001669, of Williamstown in Victoria, Australia, recently finished a flight that most of us could only dream about: a trip around the world in his Searey named ... Read more
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the EAA Young Eagles program in 2017, we’re featuring 25 Young Eagles whose stories inspire and exemplify the impact of the program. Twenty-year-old ... Read more
February 8, 2017 – Congratulations to 17-year-old Nolan Hart, EAA 1139352, who successfully completed his checkride and became a private pilot on January 14. “Lifting off the ground for the ... Read more
Congratulations to 18-year-old Brandon Brown, EAA 1229004, who in the past year alone has earned his instrument rating, a commercial drone pilot license, and began working on his commercial rating. ... Read more
Congratulations to Steve Shuter, EAA 1105380, who passed his checkride in April 2016 at Orlando Apopka Airport (X04) in Apopka, Florida. Steve successfully completed the checkride on his first attempt, ... Read more
January 12, 2017 – Congratulations to Alex Dietrich, grandson of Walter Dietrich, EAA 55519, who on January 4 became a third-generation pilot after passing his private checkride. After graduating high school ... Read more
January 5, 2017 – Congratulations to Isaac Ericson, EAA 1100893, who created a family tradition on his 16th birthday December 3 by soloing in the same Stits Playboy his father once ... Read more
December 29, 2016 – Congratulations to 16-year-old Declan Steinke, EAA 1112757, who soloed November 15 in the RV-12 Falcon 1 he helped build. Declan received his first Young Eagles flight two ... Read more
December 15, 2016 – When he turned 16 on December 1, Tom Tippin had the opportunity to do something many aviators only dream of: He soloed a Piper J-3 Cub, ... Read more
By Owen Leipelt, EAA 1102131, EAA Chapter 62 Vice President December 1, 2016 – In 2013, when I was 13 years old, I took my first Young Eagles flight with ... Read more
Congratulations to 16-year-old Justin McDowell, EAA 1174050, who completed his first solo October 31 in a Cessna 172 on floats off of Whitewater Lake in northern Ontario. Although he went ... Read more
October 27, 2016 – Bill Wemhoff, EAA 1167924, of Herndon, Virginia, earned his pilot certificate nearly 35 years ago in Nebraska but hadn’t flown since. Life got in the way and ... Read more
