Mark Beattie of EAA Chapter 494 (KAJO Corona, California) is taking Young Eagles above and beyond the usual introductory flight. Mark and his wife, Liz, established a scholarship fund through the EAA chapter to help pay flight school costs. Prospective recipients submit an essay describing their aviation interests and how they would use the funds to advance their flying aspirations.
Mark was kind enough to arrange for me to talk with two of the scholarship recipients: Joshua De La Cerda, 20, from Eastvale, California, and Ben Mejia, 16, from Ontario, California.
Joshua started taking lessons at 16 after a Chapter 494 Young Eagles flight and quickly earned his pilot’s certificate. Now, at age 20, he has both instrument and commercial ratings and is working on his multi-engine rating. He attends Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and is looking forward to an exciting and rewarding career in aviation. Sixteen-year-old Ben has completed all the elements required for his private pilot certificate and is only awaiting his 17th birthday to take his checkride to earn his license.
Both Joshua and Ben came into aviation after chance exposure inspired interest. Joshua heard about the Young Eagles program at school (via the chapter outreach at his school) when he was 16. With the Young Eagles flight came a complimentary ground school course that kicked off his flight training in earnest.
Ben (who is the youngest of six, four girls and two boys) caught the flying bug after his uncle, looking to “do something different,” took him for a discovery flight. Prior to that, no one in the family had ever had any connection to general aviation. According to Ben’s mom, Christine, “Since the age of 2, it was obvious that he was curious about everything.” She recalls how Ben “liked to take things apart to see how they worked.”
Both Ben and Joshua’s training took place at Top Flight Aviation at Corona Airport. Mark mentioned that Top Flight extended a discount for training paid for by chapter scholarship funds and that EAA Chapter 494 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so donations are tax-deductible.
