Recipient Embarks Upon Pilot Career

Leesburg, Florida’s Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 534 announced that it had awarded a Ray Aviation Scholarship to Luke Nunez of Clermont, Florida.

The Scholarship is awarded to young people actively involved in EAA Chapter 534’s youth group, Squadron 534, who’ve displayed interest in earning Private Pilot Certification.

Through an annual grant given to EAA National by the Ray Foundation—a Florida-based organization supportive of aviation and aerospace-based education programs and organizations—local EAA chapters are able to grant scholarships to deserving young people. Ray Aviation Scholarships amount to $11,000 and may be applied to offsetting the cost of recipients’ flight-instruction.

A member of Squadron 534 for two years, Luke Nunez successfully competed for the award of the Ray Aviation Scholarship—the fifth such endowment apportioned by EAA Chapter 534 since its inception.

Young Mr. Nunez’s year has been a busy one. In addition to his involvement in Chapter 534 activities, he graduated high school, landed himself a line job at Sunair Aviation on Leesburg, Florida’s Leesburg International Airport (LEE), and—by dint of his Ray Aviation Scholarship—is pursuing his Private Pilot Certificate.

To date, Mr. Nunez has logged ten-hours of dual flight-instruction. He aspires to continue his flight-training, proceeding through the requisite certificates and ratings in the hope of one day flying for a Part 121 air-carrier.

EAA Chapter 534 maintains an active aviation youth program. The group meets on Saturdays from 10:00 to 14:00 EDT for purpose of learning the basics of aerodynamics and tool use, and repairing and building aircraft under the auspices of adult chapter members.

What’s more, Chapter 534 hosts monthly EAA Young Eagles events. In EAA parlance, Young Eagles are children, ages 8 to 17, who are taken aloft in the personal aircraft of EAA members that they may experience the joys and wonders of flight—often for the first time in their young lives. The flights are most often round-robin affairs, departing from and returning to the same local airport. Young Eagles are accompanied by their parents or guardians, who take part in airport tours and pre-and-post-flight procedures and briefings. These discovery flights are offered free of charge by local EAA chapters chartered by the Oshkosh, Wisconsin-based EAA National parent organization.

The purpose of the EAA’s Young Eagles program is to inspire students to pursue careers in the aviation and aerospace industries.

FMI: www.eaa.org