Alcona or Iosco county high school students interested in aviation can have the opportunity to work toward a solo pilot’s license through a scholarship offered by the Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport Authority.

The authority has been offering a $3,000 pilot training scholarship since 1998. The scholarship provides funding for flight and ground training to prepare one student pilot to complete solo flight. Aircraft rental also is included.

“The $3,000 is a sufficient amount of money to provide the flight time that normally allows a student to be able to fly solo,” said Curt Macgregor, Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport assistant manager. “(It was started) just to see if we could get some younger people interested in aviation.” The scholarship is awarded upon merit. Applicants must be students between the ages of 16 to 19, enrolled in high school or equivalent and full time residents of Alcona or Iosco county. Applicants also must meet the standards of a Federal Aviation Administration Third Class Medical Certificate.

Immediate family members, dependents and all others living in the same household with any Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport Authority Board Member or employee are not eligible.

Applicants must fill out three forms in order to apply: An authorization for release of information, scholarship application and a statement of recommendation. The application deadline is April 1.

Macgregor said applicants also must schedule an interview with the county commissioner representing the district where they live. They must schedule the interview before the deadline. The commissioner will then write a recommendation to be sent to the scholarship selection committee.

Dennis Rau, Alcona High School guidance counselor, said less than five students from Alcona High School per year apply for the scholarship. He isn’t sure why interest in the scholarship isn’t higher.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for kids. I know one student who did get the scholarship in the past and she did get her pilot’s license,” he said. “I think it’s great for students to excel in that field.”

The application forms and more information about the scholarship can be found on the Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport Web site at www.oscairport.com.

This entry was posted by Taman Siswa on Sunday, January 28, 2007 at 9:11 pm and is filed under Education News, Scholarship. Tags: Scholarship, Student, . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.