As we prepare for a return to a new school year, here is a student who has been plugging away at some special studies all year.  Cascade Warbirds Scholarship winner Keith Steedman has just passed an important test leading to his Private Pilot License.  On August 10 he made his first solo flight!  And, passed that portion of the flight exam successfully.

Steedman was a one of the 2019 winners of the basic scholarship which covered all of the ground school training needed to pass that portion of the total process.  All that remains now are some required planned cross country trips.

Each year the organization of historic military aviation enthusiasts awards flight training scholarships to young people interested in aviation careers.  After the awardees have successfully completed the ground portion and flown their two instructional flights in a proscribed time frame, one is awarded $2,500 to continue their private pilot training.  The scholar chosen for this grant will have submitted an essay to the committee explaining why he or she wishes to complete their flight training.

Keith Steedman was the winner of the 2019 Supplemental Aviation Scholarship Grant.  Due to COVID-19 in 2020, his use-by date was extended through 2021.

Steedman, a student at Bellevue Christian High School, had submitted an outstanding essay remembering the stories of his great-grandfather’s roles in World War II.  That led him to want to become a pilot and he hopes he’ll be able to use his pilot training to support worldwide charitable organizations.  He has taken Running Start/Head Start/AP classes at the University of Washington, Shoreline Community College, and Edmonds Community College.

Cascade Warbirds promotes the restoration, preservation, operation and public display of historically significant military aircraft, and offers the scholarships for Private Pilot Ground School with Introductory Flightsto inspire today’s young people to become the aviation pioneers of tomorrow.  Cascade Warbirds has teamed with Galvin Flight Service at Boeing Field, Seattle, to provide scholarship recipients with tuition, books and supplies, and two introductory instructional flights. 

Successful completion of this Private Pilot Ground School qualifies a student to take the FAA Private Pilot Written Exam.  Each flight includes a pre-flight briefing, actual taxi and runway procedures, introduction to radio communications, the take-off, a series of in-flight maneuvers, the return and landing, and post-flight procedures.  These two flights are logged in the student’s personal logbook and count toward the minimum flight time required to earn a Private Pilot license.  This scholarship is valued at $1,350.

Cascade Warbirds is Squadron #2 of EAA Warbirds of America and is a non-profit organization of local aviation enthusiasts, many of whom are pilot-owners of historic military aircraft.  With over 250 members and the largest squadron in Warbirds of America, Cascade Warbirds is centered in the Puget Sound area.  It meets at the Museum of Flight in Seattle from October until flying weather returns in April.  Its mission is to promote and encourage the flying preservation and display of Warbird aircraft (Keep ‘em Flying), to honor Veterans, and to engage in aviation education.  Find more about them on the web at http://www.cascadewarbirds.org