Attention, operators and aspiring ag pilots: The NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship is back! Thanks to the generous support of BASF and Thrush Aircraft, $20,000 in aid is available via the 2020 NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship Program to assist four aspiring ag pilots in their journey.

The goal of NAAA’s “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship Program is to strengthen the aerial application industry by helping operator members bring new pilots into the profession and help fund their training. Applicants must be sponsored by an NAAA Operator member, and scholarship recipients may use the proceeds for flight training or aviation or ag-related coursework at a university, college, community college or other institution of higher learning. A stipend for a trainee in an NAAA Operator-sponsored apprentice program is also permissible. The scholarship program is administered by NAAA and funded by educational grants provided by BASF and Thrush.

This year, NAAA will award up to four scholarships valued at $5,000 each. This is a win-win for NAAA Operator members and individuals seeking training funds to support their pursuit of becoming a professional ag pilot.

NAAA awarded $5,000 scholarships to four aspiring ag pilots at the 2019 Ag Aviation Expo. From L–R, NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship recipients Caleb Swanson, Raudel Mendoza, Liam Zahm and Jacob Radermacher.

How to Apply

To be considered for the 2020 scholarship, along with completing the two-part application, every applicant must submit:

• A letter of recommendation from the NAAA Operator member sponsoring the applicant.
• An essay of 250 words or less explaining why you want to pursue a career in agricultural aviation and how you would use NAAA’s “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship to further your education and training.
• A one-page résumé or list of activities detailing all agricultural and aviation experiences, education and training.

NAAA will award the recipients of the 2020 “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarships in December at the Ag Aviation Expo in Savannah. Last year NAAA awarded $5,000 scholarships to four young individuals who represent the future of ag aviation: Raudel Mendoza of Sunray, Texas, Jacob Radermacher of Shipshewana, Indiana, Caleb Swanson of Canton, South Dakota, and Liam Zahm of Marne, Michigan.

To learn more about the 2020 NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship, please review the instructions included with the 2020 application. Please contact NAAA at (202) 546-5722 or information@agaviation.org for clarification about any of the application requirements.

While the applicant must be sponsored by an NAAA Operator member, NAAA membership is not a prerequisite for the person applying for the scholarship. Becoming an NAAA Associate member, however, is a great way for candidates to learn more about the industry and augment their training.