AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2021 - 71

Courtney Vidt
Brody Wilson
Sarah Cooke
and then he flew for the number-one airline, United. He really
enjoyed what he did. He loved to travel, he loved to take pictures,
and he loved taking advantage of being in other countries. " He discovered
new places, went to museums, " and always came home
with stories. "
She reconciles her personal loss with the solace that " United
93 was the flight that fought back. I often wonder if LeRoy was not
on that flight, would it have made it to the U.S. Capitol that day? "
Perhaps her husband's position on the flight deck " was LeRoy's
purpose in life. I don't like it, I don't have to like it-but I understand
that in his life, he had already taken an oath to protect and
serve his country. That day was just an extension of it. "
Nineteen of the 27 recipients will attend an " Honoring the
Past, Inspiring the Future " ceremony in
Philadelphia August 28 to commemorate
the twentieth anniversary of 9/11. Here
are some of their stories.
want to be near. " She considers military service one of her
" proudest achievements. "
If Cooke met LeRoy Homer today, she said, " Oh, man, my eyes
are going to water. I would tell him, 'thank you' for his legacy, and
for his contributions to my life. I'm very fortunate. It's just a really,
really wonderful group of people. "
U.S. NAVY LT. CMDR. Richard Valenta (2003), a Lockheed Martin
F-35C Lightning II pilot based at Maryland's Naval Air Station
Patuxent River, was an inaugural scholarship recipient who
knew at an early age that he wanted to become a military pilot.
However, his parents " didn't have the most money in the world
and even in 2003 it was quite an expense to get a pilot license. "
One day he typed aviation scholarSPIRIT
AIRLINES First Officer Sarah
Cooke (2003 recipient) was 18 and fresh
out of high school when her life trajectory
changed forever. Cooke grew up " in
the middle of nowhere Idaho " and didn't
have the financial resources to pursue an
aviation career before she was awarded
one of the first three LeRoy Homer Jr.
Scholarship flight training scholarships.
She earned a private pilot certificate that summer and praised
Melodie Homer took her
husband's memory
and decided to do
something amazing
with it.
the award as the " single greatest gift that I've ever been given.
That flight scholarship opened so many doors for me. It truly
changed the direction of my life, " Cooke reflected. " I simply
could not have afforded it. I grew up incredibly poor. "
Cooke also won the first-ever Captain Jason Dahl Scholarship,
which funded an instrument rating and led to a United Express
position. However, she was furloughed a short time later during
the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009. " I did everything right,
but there I was, 23 years old and unemployed, so I joined the Air
Force. " She attended Officer Training School and is a distinguished
U.S. Air Force graduate.
She commanded a Boeing RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft
" in international waters over countries you probably wouldn't
ships on his computer " and the Homer
Foundation popped up. Applications were
due in like five days, and I said, 'Oh, my
gosh, I've got to get this done.' "
" It was such a life-changing day "
when the 16-year-old was awarded an allexpenses-paid
flight scholarship. He spent
" every day at the airport that summer
studying aviation and flying in a Cessna 152
with a single VOR, a single ADF, and a single
radio, with a DG that precessed quite a bit. "
Earning a private pilot certificate at age
17 was " one of the most defining moments
of my life, " Valenta said. Aviation classes at Purdue University, a
Navy ROTC scholarship, and military flight training followed.
" I cannot stress to Melodie...and to everyone in the foundation
how much of a positive impact that scholarship had on my
life. I hope I can pay it back and give someone else the opportunity
they gave me. "
U.S.AIR FORCE MAJ.Courtney Vidt (2006), an instructor pilot
and weapons officer, praised the LeRoy Homer Scholarship
Foundation for her aviation accomplishments. " The credit really
belongs to Mel Homer. She took his memory and decided to do
something amazing with it. "
The first recipient to graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy,
Vidt said even her passion for flying gliders mirrored Homer's.
AOPA PILOT / September 2021
71
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2021

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