Originally Posted by Capt Denny

We are coming to a close to The Capt Jason Dahl Scholarship Drive and your support was greatly appreciated in our endeavor to keep Jason's memory alive through helping young aviators. I would like for you to take a moment and read one of this years scholarships winners from Kansas State.

Currently we are at $5445 37 donors with 903 chances

Capt Denny


The Sky is Limitless: My Desire to be a Professional Pilot

When I was a child, my grandmother and I went on a walk and ran into one of her good friends. Her friend gave me a homemade airplane made out of Popsicle sticks. This unexpected gift really enhanced my desire to be a pilot someday. As I grew up, my family began to notice my passion for airplanes. I would spend hours reading books and watching movies about these magnificent machines. My room slowly filled up with Space Shuttles and model airplanes.

Whenever I heard an airplane pass by my family and house, I would run outside and watch it soar along the sky. My childhood was spent admiring the beauty of flight, but it was not until I graduated from high school that i found my "true calling” into aviation. Upon completing high school, I attended a private college in town with a full-ride scholarship for singing; I mostly sang opera and with a special ensemble. I felt that my life was not complete. I felt as though something was missing. Near the end of my first semester in
college, I went on an introductory flight at a local flight training facility. Never had I thought that actually flying in an airplane, not dreaming of it, would be so uplifting and life changing.

During the flight, the flight instructor let me roll the piane into a turn and pitch it up and down. I felt as though I was in a dream. At the completion of the flight, I wanted my life to be involved with flying airplanes. Upon completing my first semester at the private college, I ended up transferring to Kansas State University at Salina in pursuit of a professional pilot degree; l
substituted my full-ride scholarship with many loans. I knew I would be in debt, but how else could I have started my dream? My dream of flying is so important to me and I cannot afford to allow the burden of loans to discourage that.

Since starting the professional pilot program with K-State University at Salina, in the Spring of 2011, l have progressed tremendously through my studies. ln one year, I have been able to obtain my Private Pilot license and Instrument Rating. Also, l was able to finish my Instrument Flight Lab 2 for time building. My biggest highlight last year was my solo cross-country flight to Rapid City, South Dakota. l never could have dreamed that l would have
reached this point in my life. Whenever I crank the piston engine in a Cessna Skyhawk, I feel my blood start to fill with excitement. Many times, before a flight, I become overwhelmed with excitement and that excitement bubbles throughout my communication with my instructor and Air Traffic Control; having fun and being professional is what aviation is all about. I feel home
when I am in an airplane, as though the airplane was an extension of my body. This bond is unbreakable. Every day I wake up and tell myself that I am living the dream, the dream of flying.

To me, the career of a professionai pilot is so rewarding and beneficial. When I become a professional pilot, I will be given the opportunity to travel around the country, if not the joy and adventure. Without flying, my life would not be complete; it is as if flying is a part of my DNA. I cannot imagine pursuing any other career. When I obtain my professional pilot degree, I plan to start my professional pilot career by instructing other pilot students. I want my admiration of flight to fuel the dreams of my Students and inspire them to reach their goals within aviation. When I obtain enough flight hours, I want to apply for either a regional airline or corporate job. With a regional airline, I
could gain valuable multi-engine hours that would be applied toward a major airline, later on down the road. On the other hand, a corporate job would allow me to fly to a vast variety of airports around the country, gaining valuable experience in a multitude of conditions. I would be happy with either position. One aspect of flying that I have recently become intrigued by is aerobatic flying. I have thought of this as an option because of certain training I have done with my current flight instructor. I find this aspect of flying truly breathtaking and exhilarating. Understanding the bond of an aerobatic pilot and his airplane is something that intrigues me. As of now, these are all my options; I am sure many more will be revealed as l further my
education toward becoming a professional pilot.

I have many goals when it comes to my pursuit of a degree as a professional pilot. The main goal I have, right now, is to obtain my Commercial license by the end of May. From then on, my most important goal would be to obtain my Certified Flight Instructor License by the end of the year. l am so close to reaching these milestones in my career as a professional pilot; milestones I never thought I would be so close to, since starting my degree a year ago.

Pursuing a career as a professional pilot is my dream and desire for the rest of my life. I will continue to make this dream a reality until the day I die. Every day in this profession carries endless possibilities; the sky is always limitless.