Foundation Honors The Legacy Of Navy LT Valerie Cappelaere Delaney

DARTdrones has awarded scholarships to young women in aviation through the Wings for Val Foundation.

The Wings for Val Foundation honors the legacy of Navy LT Valerie Cappelaere Delaney who was an EA-6B Prowler jet pilot. Every year, multiple scholarships are awarded to women pursuing careers in aviation.

Announced at the Women in Aviation Virtual Conference, this year's scholarship recipient, Abigail Wells, is a Molecular Biologist/Geneticist under contract to NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Center in Seattle, Washington. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Seattle University with a double major in Cellular and Molecular Biology and Environmental Science and has also completed Post Baccalaureate Studies in Natural Resources at Oregon State University. Abi earned her private pilot's license in 2020 at Snohomish Flying Service in Washington and is enrolled in instrument Rating 131.

"I want to be a wildlife pilot, where scientific research and my aviation passion meet in a profession….as a drone operator, I will be immediately ready for drone-based wildlife piloting and aerial surveys," she noted.

This is the 4th year that DARTdrones has participated in the Wings for Val Foundation scholarship program, Founder and CEO Abby Speicher says, "As a female entrepreneur and business owner in the aviation industry, it's an honor to be able to contribute to this worthy cause. We at DARTdrones appreciate the work that the Wings for Val Foundation does and understand the significance of providing scholarships to women pursuing careers in aviation."

Wings for Val Chairman, Pat Cappelaere states "The drone scholarship is becoming popular as a stepping stone to becoming a pilot. With the help of the elite team of instructors at DARTdrones, our scholars quickly realize that it is just another small step to actually fly. What seemed out of reach, now becomes possible. This opens up new opportunities for young ladies to reach for the sky and belong to this incredible community that we are helping build."

FMI: https://wingsforval.org/scholarship/apply/