Carol Dodds, General Manager, and the Board of Directors of e-publishing group announced Friday at AOPA Expo 2003 in Philadelphia the award of the Third Annual COMM1 Aviation Scholarships to two worthy aviator recipients.

John Paul Ladson, 17, of Callahan (FL) and Paul V. Edwards, 49, of Cedar Hills (UT) will each receive a $1,000 scholarship award that will be used to help them pursue their respective careers in aviation. Ladson and Edwards will also each receive a COMM1 CD-ROM training program for use in their flight training. The e-publishing Board reviewed and deliberated over nearly 90 applications that were submitted for consideration. Out of the many worthy and inspiring applicants, these two pilots were selected on the basis of a number of criteria including:

• Outstanding aviation career aspirations
• Exceptional academic and flight training records
• Excellent recommendations from their mentors; and
• Compelling financial need for the scholarship funds.

John Paul Ladson (AOPA # 04163163, pictured above with pilot/mentor Ron Wolf) says his short-term goal is to obtain his instrument rating by the time he graduates from West Nassau (FL) High School in May 2004. A goal that may be more attainable now that John Paul (who goes by J.P.) has received the Comm1 scholarship which will help him keep the momentum he started by getting his Private Pilot’s License while still in 11th grade. Ultimately, J.P. has set his cites on becoming an Air Traffic Controller –- hopefully at Jacksonville Center, where his grandfather retired after 31 years of service. He plans to attend Minneapolis Community & Technical College to get a degree in Aviation Operations and hopes to secure a position in the FAA’s Air Traffic System right away.

As one of five children, young Ladson receives some support from his family but has funded the majority of his flight training to date by working 15-20 hours a week at the FBO at Fernandina Beach Airport where he takes instruction from CFI Keoki Paikuli Gray. Gray says his flight student "consistently demonstrates strong personal initiative and is a fast study." While maintaining the Honor Roll in high school, working at the airport, and taking instrument flight training, it is hard to imagine that J.P. also has time to take freshman courses in aviation at Florida Community College in Jacksonville and to routinely give presentations on aviation to local school children along with a retired airline captain from his flying club at Fernandina Beach Airport.

Paul V. Edwards (right, AOPA #00674006) first started flying while earning an MS in Management Advisory Services at Brigham Young University in the 80s. So exhilarated by the personal challenge and discipline that flying offered, Edwards pursued aerobatic training and flew recreationally for several years. His vocation as a high school and college instructor of Computer Science, Audio-Video Production and TV Broadcast took Paul to southern California where he was a CPA and started a family of 4 children who now range in age from 9-15. After a hiatus from flying for nearly 10 years, Edwards has recently relocated to Cedar Hills (UT), where he has earned IFR, Commercial, IGI and AGI ratings; and is currently pursuing Multi-Engine and Certified Flight Instructor ratings with CFI Clint Comish. In addition to his ratings, he plans to complete a degree in aviation and begin teaching aviation courses and flight training at Utah Valley State College.

According to Edwards, he has always been passionate about the process of teaching and helping young people gather and hone new skills. His pursuit of an Instructor rating and degree in Aviation Science will permit Paul to combine his expertise in teaching academics with his love of flying. His CFI says of Edwards, "he communicates well and can convey complex concepts in simple terms…from sound decision making to cockpit resource management. Paul will be a tremendous asset to aviation!" This avid aviator has also worked airshows and helped to restore the Commerorative Air Force’s B-17G and other WWII aircraft.

The Annual COMM1 Aviation Scholarship Program is pleased to financially assist individuals with their personal and professional pursuits in aviation. It is at the core of an ongoing series of efforts by the developers of COMM1 Radio Simulators to raise awareness about the importance of pilot communications proficiency at all levels of flight training and to improving aviation safety.

The COMM1 pilot communications training series is heralded as "a tremendously innovative training tool" and "an essential supplement to any flight training syllabus" by ground and flight instructors at some of the most prestigious aviation universities, military and ab initio flight training facilities in the country.

In the past five years, more than 30,000 pilots and instructors have used COMM1 interactive CD-ROM products for primary VFR and instrument communications training. e-publishing group is pleased to offer qualified flight instructors a credible discount on COMM1 VFR, IFR and the newest release, Clearances on Request (advanced IFR departure clearance exercises).

FMI: www.Comm1Radio.com