Cascade Warbirds, an organization that promotes the restoration, preservation, operation and public display of historically significant military aircraft, is offering scholarships for Private Pilot Ground School with Introductory Flights to inspire today’s young people to become the aviation pioneers of tomorrow. The awards will be made so that students may be begin with the first opportunities of the season with flight schools in April. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2026.
Cascade Warbirds has teamed with several flight schools in the Puget Sound area to provide scholarship recipients with tuition, books and supplies, and two introductory instructional flights. Each flight school offers a custom tailored path to the student. All include a course of on-line instruction. Some offer optional in person classroom lectures, visual presentations, group discussions, and practical exercises, over a period of approximately 55 hours. Successful completion of this Private Pilot Ground School will qualify a student to take the FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Exam.
This award also includes two instructional flights in a light aircraft, the make and model of which will be matched to the student. The first flight will occur part way through the ground school, based on the instructor’s recommendation, and the second flight will occur after the successful completion of the ground school course. Each flight will include 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 will be logged in the student’s personal logbook and count toward the minimum flight time required to earn a Private Pilot license.
Recognizing the cost of the flight training required for a pilot’s license, the scholarship program offers an additional $2,500 Continuing Aviation Education Grant to one scholarship recipient who intends to earn their FAA private pilot certificate within the following year. Applicants must complete the ground school course, both introductory flights, and submit an essay by November 30 of the scholarship year.
This scholarship is available for students between the ages of 16 and 21 at the time of award. This scholarship is valued at $1,350. Interested students, parents, and advisors should visit https://www.cascadewarbirds.org/youth/ for program information and the 2026 Scholarship Application. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2026.
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
