Funds Will Apply To Flight Training
Two Oregon students were recently
awarded The Captain Michael King Smith Educational Institute
private pilot scholarship by the Evergreen Aviation Museum, and are
one step closer to their dream to fly.
"These two scholarships are an incredible opportunity for
students in the area," said Erin Bosnjak, Education Coordinator.
"The students that were awarded the scholarship showed the desire
to succeed and achieve, and the sincere desire to pursue a career
in aviation."
Philip Church of Newberg, OR and Sean Wilbur of McMinnville, OR
were each recently awarded a $2,500 private pilot scholarship.
Church and Wilbur will apply the award toward the cost of flight
training at McMinnville Airport. Flight training includes ground
school instruction, up to 20 hours of dual and solo flight
instruction, 10 hours of pre- and post-flight instructor briefings,
an FAA written test and Flight Examiner's fee for Private Pilot
check ride.
Representatives with Evergreen Aviation Museum tell ANN Church
is a graduating senior from Newberg High School, and has been
fascinated by aviation since a very early age. Church joined the
Museum's Corp of Volunteers as a Jr. Docent in late November 2006
and has thoroughly enjoyed everything he has learned about the
airplanes and the volunteers' stories.
He has started his flight training at Cirrus Aviation, and he
plans to enroll in Portland Community College's Aviation Program in
the fall. Church has aspirations of being a commercial pilot.
Wilbur is a graduating senior at McMinnville High School. He was
introduced to airplanes by his grandfather who was a fighter pilot
in the Navy, and has actively researched the aerodynamics of
flight, various airplanes, and has even taken a few rides. One ride
on which Wilbur got to be a passenger was with Evergreen's own
pilot, Andy Benedict. They flew a Learjet from McMinnville to
Hillsboro... and although the flight was short, the impact that it
had on Sean was one that would last a lifetime.
Sean has already begun his flight training at Cirrus Aviation,
and has flights scheduled every day. After getting his four year
degree from OIT in Klamath Falls, Wilbur plans to attend Central
Oregon Community College and get his Associate Degree in Aviation
Science. His long term plans are to fly as a commercial pilot.
Each scholarship winner completed the application and
participated in panel interviews with the Scholarship Committee.
Members of the committee who selected the winners of this honorable
award include: Laurel Adams, Dave Bibbee, John Rasmussen, Bud
Stordahl, Ian Jacobsen, Burkhard Gebauer, Robbie Sturm, Judy Newman
and Monika Lautenbach. Winners were awarded on June 6, 2007.