Investing in Aviation’s Future

The Aerospace Center for Excellence is proud to partner with the Bob Hoover Legacy Foundation to offer two inaugural scholarships in honor of the legendary aviator.

Subject awards will provide $10,000 to two flight students currently pursuing Commercial Pilot certification. Both students received scholarships for Private Pilot training by dint of the James C. Ray Flight Training Scholarship, which is also administered by the Aerospace Center for Excellence.

Awardee Jerrilynn Rodriquez recently completed her Instrument Rating Practical Test and has begun Commercial Pilot training. Rodriquez was introduced to aviation through a discovery flight she completed on a whim—to see if she’d like flying. Rodriquez found flight to her liking, to such an extent that her life was transformed by it.

“I quickly shifted all of my efforts and attention towards jumping into aviation whether it was volunteering with SUN ‘n FUN or changing my entire degree program,” Rodriquez stated. “The freedom and opportunities of the aviation field are endless and always exhilarating.”

Rodriquez, who aspires to fly professionally, intends to progress beyond Commercial Pilot certification. Ultimately, she hopes to find herself in the employ of a humanitarian organization or disaster-relief agency.

Aidan Hughes, Rodriquez’s fellow awardee, is making ready to commence Commercial Pilot training following his recent successful completion of the Instrument Rating Practical Test. A student in the Polk State College Aerospace program, Hughes formerly worried after his ability to meet the higher cost of Commercial Pilot training—which presupposes rental of a complex/high-performance aircraft such as Cessna’s 172RG, Piper’s PA-28 Arrow, or Beechcraft’s G36 Bonanza.

Hughes set forth: “Commercial is the most expensive license I have encountered thus far, and I work full-time to be able to pay for all my training. I would like to be able to finish all of my pilot ratings, as well as my college degree without having to pull out student loans.”

Hughes continued: “To be able to have another $10,000 would help me to finish my Commercial license and give me the jump I need to get where I want to be.”

Hughes loves the freedom by which flight is characterized, asserting: “I love to fly because it always changes; nothing stays the same; I am always learning something new, and it is amazing seeing the different places that we travel to.”

Hughes, too, aspires to fly professionally—preferably in the capacity of a corporate pilot, though he concedes an airline career isn’t out of the question, so far as he’s concerned.

Jim Campbell, Executive Director of the Bob Hoover Legacy Foundation, notes that, "We all have our stories about the struggles we had in working our way up the ladder in the aviation world... the Foundation is thrilled to help two exceptional young aviators make more progress... and we know that Bob would have been immensely pleased with these most recent scholarships. We wish them every success..."

In addition to being pleased to make the acquaintance of Jerrilynn Rodriquez and Aidan Hughes, the Aerospace Center for Excellence team is proud to join the Bob Hoover Legacy Foundation in helping the two young aviators sustain and further their respective training efforts.

FMI: www.bobhooverlegacyfoundation.org, www.aceedu.org