Cascade Warbirds, a 20-year-old not-for-profit entity involved with historic military aircraft and those who crewed them, is kicking off its 2014 scholarship program.
For several years, the Washington-state based organization has spent a portion of its budget on scholarships for youth between the ages of 16 and 21.
“It is the goal of the Cascade Warbirds to promote the restoration, preservation, operation and public display of historically significant military aircraft; to acquire and perpetuate the living history of those who served their country on these aircraft; and to inspire today’s young people to become the aviation pioneers of tomorrow,” officials noted.
In its efforts to engage youth toward this end, the group offers two scholarships programs.
The first is a private pilot ground school with introductory flights.
Cascade Warbirds has teamed with Galvin Flight Service at Boeing Field in Seattle, and with Avian Flight Center at the Bremerton, Wash., airport to provide the scholarship recipient with tuition, books and supplies, and two introductory instructional flights. The ground school portion comprises classroom lectures, visual presentations, group discussions, practical exercises, and field trips over a period of approximately 55 hours. Classes generally meet two nights per week for two and one-half hours and one Saturday per week for four hours over a period of six weeks. Successful completion of this Private Pilot Ground School will qualify the student to take the FAA’s Private Pilot Written Exam.
This award also includes two instructional flights in a light aircraft, the make and model of which will be matched to the student. The first flight will occur part way through the ground school, based on the instructor’s recommendation, and the second flight will occur after the successful completion of the ground school course. Each flight will include a pre-flight briefing, actual taxi and runway procedures, introduction to radio communications, the takeoff, a series of in-flight maneuvers, the return and landing, and post-flight procedures. These two flights will be logged in the student’s personal logbook and count toward the minimum flight time required to earn a Private Pilot license.
This scholarship is available for students between the ages of 16 and 21 at the time of award. This scholarship is valued at $1,125 and a minimum of six awards will be made.
The second program provides tuition for kids to attend the EAA AirVenture Aviation Camp in Oshkosh, Wis.
Cascade Warbirds has teamed with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) to provide the tuition for the EAA’s Advanced Air Academy. This camp provides an atmosphere for mature students to become totally immersed in the world of flight. Ground instruction and introductory recreational flight experiences highlight this camp. It combines “in-the-air” and “on-the-ground” hands-on activities. The award covers both tuition and room and board for the session. The 2014 camp dates are Aug. 1 through Aug. 9. This award also includes a travel allowance to Oshkosh of up to $250, available upon written request.
To be considered, students must be ages 16, 17, or 18 at the time of the camp. This scholarship is valued at $1,500 and a minimum of two awards will be made. Visi/ for more info.
Go to CascadeWarbirds.org for the scholarship application.