Flight Training - December 2019 - 15

YOU CAN FLY

BY JENNIFER NON

EVERY STUDENT FLIES

FREE FLIGHT LESSONS INTENDED TO INSPIRE COLORADO STUDENTS
THANKS TO FOUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZA-

tions and a lot of teamwork in Aspen,
Colorado, nearly 600 students will be
given the opportunity of a lifetime.
Aspen High School, one of more than
160 schools across the country currently
teaching AOPA's High School Aviation
STEM Curriculum, is going one step
further. In an effort to offer practical
experience and inspire even more students to pursue jobs in aviation,
the Aspen Flight Academy, Aspen Education Foundation, Aspen School District,
and The BettyFlies Foundation have
teamed up to provide a free flight lesson
to every Aspen High School student. The
"Every Student Flies" program will share
the freedom of flight with 556 young
adults and is made possible by funds
donated to each of the nonprofits. The
money raised helps cover the training aircraft, simulators, and any other
operating costs associated with Every
Student Flies.
The largest contribution came from
The BettyFlies Foundation, which
donated $100,000 to the academy.
Suzanne Pfister, president of The BettyFlies Foundation, believes the Every
Student Flies program could make a
real difference in the life of these young
students. Pfister's nonprofit foundation
exists to provide opportunities for youth
in memory of her mother-Aspen aviatrix
hero Betty Haas Pfister. "Betty was a
trailblazer in the true sense of the word,"
said Pfister. "She was a flight enthusiast
who thought outside the box in all her
endeavors."
Each student-even those not enrolled
in the high school aviation curriculum-
will be offered a free flight lesson with a

certificated flight instructor in a Diamond DA40 aircraft. Following the flight
lesson, students will be given a tour of the
Aspen/Pitkin County Airport's air traffic
control tower, and tours of businesses on
the airfield. Students also will be provided
information about how to further pursue
opportunities and careers within the
aviation industry.
Spearheading the program is Michael
Pearce, a Boeing 777 international captain
for American Airlines and president of
the Aspen Flight Academy's board of
directors. "We are excited to launch this
one-of-a-kind opportunity to offer every
Aspen High School student the chance to
experience flight and learn about careers
in aviation," said Pearce.
A 10-year and approximately $11
million agreement between Aspen Flight
Academy and Diamond Aircraft CEO
Scott McFadzean also will help make
this endeavor possible. Two DA40-NG
airplanes will be provided each year to
the academy for a 10 year period.
Kate Short, a CFI with multiengine
and instrument ratings, has her hands
full. Not only does she teach AOPA's
aviation STEM curriculum at Aspen High
School, she is also the director of aviation
for the Aspen School District and is managing the Every Student Flies program.
"This program is unique in that we are
able to offer these experiences to public
high school students at no cost to their
families," said Short. "In addition to the
free flight, we offer three aviation courses
at Aspen High School to provide interested students even greater knowledge
towards a future career in aviation."

APPLY NOW FOR
AOPA'S FLEXIBLE
AVIATION LOAN
DO YOU WANT QUICK & EASY?
Fill out a quick online application and be
approved in one business day.

DO YOU WANT AFFORDABLE?
A $10,000 flight training loan with monthly
payments as low as $250 a month. AOPA
Member rates starting at WSJ Prime +5%.

DO YOU WANT FLEXIBILITY?
You can borrow as much as 3x your monthly
income (up to a max of $100k).

Go to

aopa.org/financemytraining
to apply today.

jennifer.non@aopa.org

YOU CAN FLY CHALLENGE EXCEEDS ITS GOAL

Thanks to the generous contributions of more than 5,000 generous donors, the
AOPA Foundation has exceeded its goal for the 2019 You Can Fly Challenge. The
James C. Ray Foundation had pledged to match donations up to $2 million, but
donors contributed $2.8 million. The Ray Foundation increased its match to $2.5
million, totaling a combined contribution of $5.3 million to the AOPA Foundation,
which supports the work of the You Can Fly programs.
aopafoundation.org/donate

AOPA.ORG/FT  15

AOPA's Flexible Aviation Loan can be put
to work right now to get you on your way as
a better trained, more proficient pilot.
http://www.aopa.org/financemytraining http://www.aopafoundation.org/donate http://www.AOPA.ORG/FT
Flight Training - December 2019

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