The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has teamed with Ross Perot, Jr. and The Academy of Aeronautics and Aviation Sciences at V.R. Eaton High School in Haslet to establish scholarships for students interested in becoming pilots or aviation technicians.
The six scholarships will be awarded over the next three years. AOPA said it will collect and review scholarship applications, and administer the program.
“Our mission at AOPA to protect your freedom to fly is especially relevant in ensuring that we set a clear path for future generations of aviators,” Mark Baker, the AOPA president, said in a release.“Our work with Ross Perot Jr. and The Academy of Aeronautics and Aviation Sciences brings that vision to life in a very rewarding way.”
The public aviation academy at V.R. Eaton High School in the Northwest Independent School District provides students the opportunity to take dual credit college courses in aviation mechanical technology and/or a professional pilot pathway.
Perot, who heads Hillwood, developer of AlianceTexas, is a U.S. Air Force veteran, and undertook the world’s first circumnavigation in a helicopter at the age of 23. Through the Sarah and Ross Perot Jr. Foundation, he supports AOPA and its mission to reinforce high school science, technology, engineering, and math education through aviation.
“The Perot family is honored to support students to reach their ambitions in the competitive field of aviation and technology,” Perot said in the release. “This scholarship program reflects North Texas’ strong aviation heritage, and it will help feed the future skilled labor needs of aviation partners at Alliance Texas and throughout the region, while helping students explore the industry and pursue their passions.”
“Even after this challenging past year, the aviation industry is forecast to need hundreds of thousands of new pilots and aviation technicians,” Baker said. “It is so important for AOPA to become part of the solution. With the help of generous donations to the AOPA Foundation, AOPA has also awarded more than $2.5 million in scholarship funding to 345 aspiring and enduring pilots over the years.”
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