High-School Soph Aspires To Become Airline Pilot

By Ted Luebbers

The Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 534 in Leesburg, Florida announced that the 2025 Ray Aviation Scholarship winner is Abdiel Hernandez from Tavares, Florida, a 16-year-old finishing up his sophomore year at Tavares High School.

Abdiel has been a member of the EAA Chapter 534 youth program for some time and has taken several flights with their Young Eagles program. He has always had an interest in aviation, and wants to pursue a career as a commercial airline pilot. He is looking forward to beginning his flight training at Sun Air Aviation at the Leesburg International Airport (KLEE) in Florida.

Abdiel is only one of three Ray Aviation Scholars taking part in an EAA National Beta Simulator flight test in the country. If this Beta test is successful, it will become an integral part of the Scholarship program.

The Ray Aviation Scholarship grant of $13,000 will go a long way toward paying for Abdiel’s flight training to obtain his Private Pilot’s License and represents the first giant step to attain his dream of becoming an airline pilot.

This Scholarship program is funded by the Ray Foundation, managed by EAA National, in Oshkosh WI, and administered through approved local EAA chapters such as Chapter 534.

To date this is the seventh Ray Aviation Scholarship awarded to local youths here in the Lake County area, and the program has produced four private pilots and two more waiting for their FAA check rides. Several of those recipients have gone on to seek Instrument, Seaplane and Commercial ratings.

Scholarship recipients must be active in the local EAA chapter youth programs such as that provided by Squadron 534 at EAA Chapter 534. This is where they begin to learn about aviation under the supervision of chapter members who become their mentors.

By starting out as volunteers helping with Fly-In breakfasts and at Young Eagle Rallies, they gain experience in the airport environment, working with radio controlled aircraft and also assisting with the building and repair of full-size experimental aircraft.

Youth chapter members of  compete each year for the annual Ray Aviation Scholarship. Every chapter has a Ray Aviation Coordinator who oversees the program, and he or she makes recommendations to the chapter’s selection board for that year’s recipient.

EAA Chapter 534 is happy to congratulate Abdiel Hernandez as the recipient of its 2025 Ray Scholarship.

FMI:  www.eaachapter534.org/