As a young child, Shokoufeh Mirzaei was initially terrified of airplanes. Growing up on Air Force bases in Iran, she would routinely seek shelter underground as air raid sirens went off.
However, that fear soon turned to admiration and a desire to fly. Immigrating from a country where it was formerly impossible for a young woman to become a pilot, Shokoufeh’s piloting dreams were put on hold for many years — until now.
Frederic Hewett has a fascination with languages and has integrated this passion with his love for aviation
When not preparing for his private pilot check ride, he provides English as a second language tutoring to foreign pilots, helping them prepare for their written exams.
His goal is to create a communication training program to be able to “strengthen general aviation resources and camaraderie between people of different countries.”
These two student pilots share a determination and tenacity that paint a clear picture of their potential impact on general aviation, say officials with Aviation Insurance Resources, which awarded Get into the AIR scholarships to them.
Applicants were judged on essays and recommendations letters that best portrayed the pilot’s goals, drive, and commitment to the aviation industry.
The competition was fierce, and officials with AIR say they were was impressed by all the applicant submissions.
The Get into the AIR aviation scholarship will be available again in 2019.