The High School to Flight School program is built to help high school students earn their private pilot license in a safe, efficient way. Certain requirements must be met to maintain the scholarship.
gROUND SCHOOL
Students selected for the ground school scholarship will begin in January. You’ll need to:
Attend ground school at Blue River Aviation in Palmer for three consecutive Saturdays in January (dates provided when application open). Class is from 9 AM - 3 PM.
Pass your written exam by mid-February.
Full flight school scholarship students will be selected from those who successfully complete ground school and pass their exam. This will be based on attendance, test scores, and instructor feedback. Not all ground school students will go on to flight training.
Flight School
Students selected for the full flight school scholarship will begin flight training in February. You’ll need to:
Schedule and pass a flight physical. HSFS will recommend an FAA-designated Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) and pay for the appointment.
Volunteer one hour for every flight hour covered by the scholarship.
Log a minimum of five flight hours per month.
Pay on your own for two flight hours after every 10 flight hours paid by the scholarship.
Pass your PPL check ride by the end of September and within 50 flight hours. If you need to go over 50 hours, HSFS will require two hours of community service for every one hour of flight time past that point.
Community Service
The volunteer hours you work earn you the hours you fly. To keep up with your flight training, you must:
Complete one hour of community service for every one hour of flight time covered by the scholarship. Volunteer hours must be complete in advance of flight hours, and you’re encouraged to bank volunteer time to that you can fly consistently. You’ll need to keep those hours logged and send updates monthly or as requested by your mentor.
Mentor Meetings and Additional Program Steps
Flight training and volunteering is the focus, but there are a few other requirements aimed at making you a more well-rounded pilot. As a HSFS scholarship student you must also:
Meet with your HSFS mentor at least three times during your flight training. Your mentor is there to track your progress, but also to help with anything you need while you’re in flight school. More meetups are always welcome.
Attend the Great Alaska Aviation Gathering in early May. This is a good opportunity to learn more about flying, see what’s new in the world of aviation, and meet fellow pilots.
