Aviation Academy: Next Steps

Now that you’ve completed the Aviation Academy course, you may be wondering how to expand your aviation knowledge and flying experiences. Here are some suggestions to get you on your way.

Flying

¨  Visit your local flight school and take an introductory flight lesson.
o    Introductory flights are a reduced-cost, 30-minute lesson where you will fly an airplane from the left seat with an instructor.
o    Flight Schools
 §  Snohomish County Airport / Paine Field (Everett)
       · Northway Aviation, 425-742-7003, www.northwayaviation.com
       · Regal Air, 425-353-9123, www.regalair.com

 §  Arlington Municipal Airport (Arlington)
       · Northwest Aviation Center, 360-435-3337, www.nwac.aero
       · Out of the Blue Aviation, 360-474-1012, www.outoftheblueaviation.com

 §  Harvey Field (Snohomish)
       · Snohomish Flying Service, 360-568-1541, www.snohomishflying.com

¨  Ride along with a member of the Washington Pilots Association.
o    Members of Paine Field Chapter meet at Regal Air at 10 AM on Saturday mornings (weather permitting) to fly out to a selected destination (usually for lunch).
o    Seat availability may be limited.
o    Due to high fuel prices, contributions for fuel or the pilot’s lunch are appreciated.

 Education

¨  Take the free online ground school course provided by Sporty’s Pilot Shop.
o    Beginning in 2010, EAA Young Eagles flight participants receive a code in their logbook to provide free access to Sporty’s Complete Pilot Training course. For more information, please go to http://www.youngeagles.org/sportys/.

¨  Join the Civil Air Patrol.
 o    National Organization - http://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/
  §  Paine Field Composite Squadron - http://www.painefieldcap.org/
  §  Arlington Composite Squadron - http://arlingtoncivilairpatrol.com/

¨  If you are a high school junior or senior wanting to attend college and earn an aviation-related degree, check out these colleges and universities:

o    Central Washington University - http://www.cwu.edu/~flight/
o    Big Bend Community College - http://academics.bigbend.edu/programs/aviation/Pages/default.aspx
o    Everett Community College - http://www.everettcc.edu/programs/bwe/aviation/?linkFrom=Alias
o    Northwest Aviation College - http://www.afsnac.com/
o    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - http://www.erau.edu/
o    University of North Dakota - http://aviation.und.edu/
o    United States Naval Academy - http://www.usna.edu/
o    United States Air Force Academy - http://www.usafa.af.mil/

¨  Scholarship Resources

o    Washington Pilots Association – Kurt Mason Aviation Education Scholarship - /Chapters/Paine/scholarship.htm
o    AvScholars - http://www.avscholars.com/
o    Scholarships.com - http://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-type/aviation-scholarships/aviation-scholarships.aspx
o    AVweb - http://www.avweb.com/news/careers/187763-1.html
o  Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) - http://www.faa.gov/education/student_resources/scholarships_grants/aviation_scholarships/