ASF Announces Five New Scholarships
The AOPA Air Safety Foundation has announced the creation of five new scholarships for students pursuing careers in aviation. Four of the scholarships, valued at $2,000 each, were made possible by a grant from ExxonMobil, while the remaining scholarship, worth $1,500, was made possible by a grant from Stephen Koch, president of the Koch Corp.
The Koch Scholarship will be awarded to a Kentucky resident who is enrolled in a program leading to a degree in an aviation field. The educational program must be at an accredited college or university in the United States.
Applicants for the Koch Scholarship must maintain a 3.25 or better grade point average on a 4.0 scale and will be required to submit a 500-word essay.
Koch, whose son recently graduated from a college aviation program, established the scholarship in recognition of the high cost of education and in an effort to encourage more people in his home state to pursue careers in aviation.
The ExxonMobil Lubricants Academic Aviation Scholarships and A Scholarships will be administered through the AOPA Air Safety Foundation. Two scholarships will go to college juniors or seniors who are enrolled in a program leading to a degree in an aviation field. The other two scholarships will be given to students who are enrolled in an accredited aviation maintenance technician (A) certification programs.
ExxonMobil will make additional contributions to the scholarship fund based on sales of its newest aviation oil for piston engines, Exxon Elite 20W-50. Applicants for either scholarship must maintain a 3.25 or better grade point average on a 4.0 scale and will be required to submit a 250-word essay. The application deadline for the ExxonMobil Scholarships is July 31.
Additional details and requirements for these and other scholarships are available at www.aopa.org/asf/scholarship or by calling 301/ 695-2170.
Flight Training Columnist Named CFI Of The Year
Flight instructor and AOPA Flight Training columnist Greg Brown has been named the Industry/FAA National Flight Instructor of the Year for 2000. Brown is a career flight instructor who has spent 21 years and some 3,000 hours in the right seat. He has also written several aviation books, including The Savvy Flight Instructor. He became eligible for the award after being named flight instructor of the year for his local flight standards district office in Arizona and then winning the Western Pacific Regional title. Brown said he was "both astonished and delighted" to receive the honor.
Aircraft Electronics Association Awards $66,000 In Scholarships
Twenty-seven students from around the United States and Canada have received a total of more than $66,000 in scholarships from the Aircraft Electronics Association Educational Foundation. The scholarships were awarded to students wishing to pursue a career in general aviation maintenance and electronics. The scholarships are designed to fund technical training and certification at the learning institution of the student's choice. Applications for next year's scholarships will be available after October 1. For more information or to apply, telephone AEA at 816/373-6565 or visit the Web site (www.aea.net ).
PAMA, Aviation Learning To Provide Internet-Based Maintenance Training
The Professional Aviation Maintenance Association has joined forces with Aviation Learning Inc. to offer Internet-based maintenance education. Participants in the education programs will learn through online courses and group discussions on Aviation Learning's Web site ( www.aviationlearning.com ). Further details of the programs to be offered are not yet available.
Cessna Launches New Learn-To-Fly Web Site
Aspiring pilots now have another new resource for information about getting started with the launch of Cessna Aircraft Company's new learn-to-fly Web site (www.startflyingcessna.com ). The site was created to complement an advertising campaign that is designed to attract student pilots to Cessna Pilot Centers. The new site includes information on what is involved in becoming a pilot, SallieMae flight training financing, and a report on what it's like to train in a new Cessna 172.
AOPA Flight Training Members Get Discounted Written Exams
Computer Assisted Testing Service, Inc. (CATS) is now the official testing company for AOPA members. CATS is now offering an exclusive $10 discount to AOPA members, including AOPA Flight Training members, on any FAA written exam. If an AOPA member fails an exam on the first attempt, he or she will receive one free retest. CATS has offered all FAA flight and mechanics knowledge exams since 1992. To register for a CATS FAA test or to find a testing center near you, call 800/947-4228. Provide your AOPA membership number to receive the discount.
Canadian Schools Compete For Innovation Award
The Air Transport Association of Canada has created three awards to celebrate innovative approaches in the Canadian aviation industry. The winners will be selected from among flight schools, air taxi operators, and other members of the aviation community by a panel of industry and government representatives. The awards will recognize the best practices for increasing safety, the best practices for increasing product quality, and innovative practices or strategies that will serve as an example for others. The first awards will be presented at this year's Air Transport Association of Canada general meeting to be held November 12 through November 14 in Vancouver.
Minnesota Teachers Bring Aviation To The Classroom
Secondary school teachers from across Minnesota will participate in an eight-day program designed to help them teach students about transportation, including aviation. The summer transportation academy, which is sponsored by St. Cloud State University, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Department of Transportation, is a three-credit graduate course. As part of the program, teachers will develop transportation curricula to use in their classrooms. Other teachers will be able to review the materials for their own classroom use on the state Department of Transportation Aeronautics Web site (www.mnaero.com/aved ).
Seaplane Pilots Name Pilot Of The Year
The Seaplane Pilots Association has named an Oregon-based operator the Seaplane Pilot of the Year for 1999. Dave Wiley has operated Wiley's Seaplanes on the Willamette River near Portland for more than 30 years. Wiley was selected for the honor because of his outstanding record as a seaplane instructor and his role in passing Oregon legislation that equates the water rights of seaplanes with those of power boats.
Miami College Begins Work On Training Center
Miami-Dade Community College has broken ground on a new Aviation Training Center at the school's Homestead campus. The new building will house flight simulators, an air traffic control laboratory, a radar simulator, classrooms, a bookstore, and a cafe.
School Notes And News
Utah College To Launch Aeronautical Institute
Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah, has received a $7.4 million grant to create an aeronautical institute. The college has long offered an academic aviation program but the grant money will allow the school to add flight operations. College officials did not identify the source of the funding except to say that the money came from a private charitable foundation.
Ohio University Receives Donated Cessna 172
Ohio University recently accepted the donation of a new Cessna 172 in memory of alumnus David Hoover. The airplane, which was donated by longtime Hoover friend Andy Ross, will be used by student flight team members for regional and national competitions. Hoover, who graduated from Ohio University's Department of Aviation in 1964, was a Boeing 747 captain for American Airlines and a member of the Coors Light Silver Bullet Jet Team. He was killed in an airshow crash in 1992.
University Of Cincinnati Expands Professional Pilot Program
In an effort to make its professional pilot program available to more students, the University of Cincinnati School of Aviation Technology will allow students to begin their studies during either the fall or winter quarters. The staggered starts will help the program keep classes to a maximum of 20 students. The program leads to an associate of applied science degree and offers the option of going on to earn a bachelor of business administration degree.
