Nevada County’s chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association is looking for a 14- or 15-year-old interested in attending this year’s Air Academy Camp in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, according to a release.
The camp is a weeklong program that introduces self-motivated young people to flying and a broad array of careers in aviation. The students are engaged through professional instructors, while working with other youths on a thorough variety of hands-on activities, which includes aviation history, flight simulation, aircraft construction, air traffic control, career qualifications and more.
The local Chapter 1175 is based at the Nevada County Airport and has awarded a number of past Air Academy Camp sponsorships. The group has also conducted hundreds of Young Eagle flights for kids ages 8 to 17.
Many of the local camp scholarship recipients have moved into aviation careers, including James Jacobson of Grass Valley.
At age 11, Jacobson flew for his first time at the Nevada County Airport as a Young Eagle with a Chapter 1175 pilot. At age 14 he was awarded a sponsorship to attend the camp in Oshkosh. His earned a pilot’s license on his 17th birthday and enrolled at the University of North Dakota, a well-know school for aviation.
Jacobson began flying and eventually instructing in competition aerobatics before his graduation. He qualified among the top three positions in the highly competitive sportsman category of the 2016 U.S. National Aerobatic Championships.
Grass Valley’s Aria Davenport is another local success story. After his grandparents bought him his first flying lesson, he was awarded a flight training scholarship from the Golden Empire Flying Association.
Upon graduating from Kansas State University Professional Pilot Program, Davenport began flying as an instructor before becoming a corporate pilot in a Cessna Citation Jet. Another of his corporate jobs included piloting an advanced composite Cirrus aircraft, which features components manufactured on a Grass Valley designed Autometrix cutting machine.
The EAA Air Academy Camp Sponsorships are available to youths ages 14 to 15 for a full week of aviation immersion at Oshkosh. Interested teens may learn more, and download the sponsorship application by visiting the website http://www.EAA1175.org.
Interviews will begin Saturday followed by candidate selection in the following week.