A record number of solo flight students will be recognized Friday, Nov. 16, 2018, at a Solo to Success Ceremony held on the SUN ‘n FUN campus at Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport in Florida.
Starting at 10 a.m., 28 engraved commemorative bricks will be placed in the Solo to Success walkway in front of the Central Florida Aerospace Academy (CFAA), a high school on the SUN ‘n FUN campus.
The annual Solo to Success Ceremony, sponsored by the Aerospace Center for Excellence (ACE), recognizes the exceptional accomplishment of students 15 to 18 years of age who have completed the necessary steps to solo an aircraft in the past 12 months.
Many of these student pilots are recipients of a flight scholarship from ACE. ACE awards two scholarships a month to any qualified high school age resident of Polk County, Florida.
The Solo to Success brick laying ceremony caps off a week of Homecoming to the Sky festivities for students at CFAA. Earlier this week, ACE hosted Freshman First Flights, which provided the opportunity for 30 members of the freshman class to have a one-on-one general aviation experience from the right seat.
According to officials, the SUN ‘n FUN Fly-In and ACE are addressing the aerospace industry professional shortage head on by “engaging, educating, and inspiring future aerospace professionals.”
The SUN ‘n FUN Fly-In raises more than $2 million annually, which enables ACE to deliver STEM-related and aerospace education programs engaging more than 30,000 youth each year.
Additionally, ACE manages and allocates up to $430,000 a year in aerospace scholarships.