BPA Summer Flight Academy Scholarship Program

EAA Chapter 1288 offers a scholarship program in order to send students to attend a challenging aviation summer program. This program, the Black Pilots of America's Summer Flight Academy, is a challenging and intensive, yet fun and rewarding, two-week program held in July at Texas Southern University in Houston, TX where promising young men and women between the ages of 15 and 19 can get started with their flight training, and can reinforce skills that will help them in life.

This program is designed to get young people excited about flying and their potential as active participants in aviation and aerospace. In addition, the Summer Flight Academy helps them to convert this excitement into the academics which will both help them to excel in life and which will form the foundation of their aviation career. The instructors are all experienced flight instructors, who volunteer their time to share their 165 years of combined aviation experience of 165 years in the aviation field with the young people in the BPA Summer Flight Academy.

Successful participants receive 10 hours of flight time and 40 hours of ground school. Students who complete the course and who gain the approval and supervision of their instructor may be allowed to perform a solo flight of the aircraft. This jump-start has allowed many Flight Academy students to continue on to complete their Private Pilot training, and quite a few have continued further with advanced ratings and have entered the aviation field for a career.

Applicant Qualifications

All qualified students are encouraged to apply for the BPA Summer Flight Academy. Students must be between the ages of 15 and 19 and have at least a B grade point average to enter the program. While the school is operated by the "Black Pilots Association", the emphasis is on the potential of youth, not their race... there are absolutely no requirements or preference given to applicants concerning race. The flight school hosts students from around the world, from every race, background, and walk of life.

How To Apply

EAA Chapter 1288 offers scholarships to the Summer Flight Academy. All interested students between the ages of 15 and 19 with a B average are urged to apply. An essay is required. For more information, please contact our scholarships coordinator Walter Hewett.