Atlantic Aviation, which operates the lone FBO at Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (KASE), has partnered with the Aspen Flight Academy (AFA) to award $100,000 in flight training scholarships to 11 local high school students who are pursuing private pilot certificates. The students were presented with the scholarships at a ceremony this week.
Atlantic, which announced this program in October, has been a supporter of AFA since 2014. “We’re very proud to partner with Aspen Flight Academy to help grow our future aviators,” said KASE FBO manager Jonathan Jones.
AFA currently has more than 100 students enrolled. Three graduates from the Purdue University professional flight program serve as instructors in the academy's three Diamond DA40NG diesel piston singles. Forty percent of AFA students are female, as are approximately half of this year’s scholarship program awardees.
“It is an amazing time to become a professional pilot,” said AFA board chairman and American Airlines captain Mike Pearce. “The industry is projected to need tens of thousands of pilots in the next decade. Aspen Flight Academy is proud to help students become the next generation of aviation professionals."