by Jordan Hanhilammi | Oct 4, 2024 | Air Race News, Media, Scholarships
We’re interrupting the air show content to share that one of our 2024 scholarship winners became a Private Pilot earlier this week! Congratulations to Alex Florez!
Check out what Great Basin Aviation has to say about Alex.
“Huge congratulations to Alex Florez for earning his Private Pilot Certificate!! We’ve got to give it to Alex—this guy is a master time manager like no other. He’s not just a full-time student, but he’s been crushing his prep for the oral exam, staying current in the skies, and still finding time to hit the gym for those solid gains. I mean, check out those veins! We’re just hoping there’s still time for schoolwork somewhere in there. But that’s not all—Alex is also the proud recipient of the coveted Reno Air Race Association scholarship, and we can’t think of anyone more deserving! This young man embodies hard work, determination, and excellence in everything he does. Whether he’s studying or flying, he brings 100% effort every single time. Alex is also one of the most pleasant and respectful people you’ll ever meet. Always positive, always polite—even when we throw a little sass his way (which, let’s be honest, we probably won’t stop). But he takes it all in stride with that great attitude we love! And of course, none of this would’ve been possible without his amazing CFI, Shane Smith! A huge shoutout to Shane for being the rock-solid support that guided Alex to this huge accomplishment. We couldn’t be prouder of Alex and all he’s achieved. The sky’s no limit for this incredible young man. Keep soaring higher, Alex—you’re only getting started!”
by Jordan Hanhilammi | Sep 20, 2024 | Air Race News, Media, Scholarships
We have a 2024 scholarship recipient update:
Yesterday afternoon, Great Basin Aviation shared with us that Jared Garrido is officially a private pilot! Congratulations on this amazing accomplishment, Jared!
Check out what Great Basin has to say about Jared below.
“This young overachiever is now free to soar the friendly skies (just below 18,000 feet for now). Jared’s been on an incredible journey—he graduated high school early, eats, sleeps, and breathes aviation, and even landed the prestigious Reno Air Race scholarship!
But let’s not forget the real struggle: the sunshade (see picture). While Jared’s already nailing his landings, putting that sunshade in the plane? Let’s just say, he’s still working on it… We’ll blame it on the excitement of becoming a private pilot!
Jared’s not just a standout because of his technical skills, though. His attitude and dedication are second to none. When you ask him to do something, he’s already on it, with that signature smile on his face. His supportive family has been behind him every step of the way, too. His dad is always hanging out at the airport, camera in hand, proudly sharing stories about his newly minted pilot son. It’s heartwarming to see such strong support.
A big shoutout to Jared’s CFI, Alex Spencer, who’s been there to guide him through the ups and downs (pun intended). To accomplish this at such a young age sets Jared on a path for great things in aviation, and we couldn’t be prouder.
Congratulations, Jared! We can’t wait to see where you fly next. And don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of that sunshade eventually.”
by Jordan Hanhilammi | Aug 31, 2024 | Air Race News, Media, Scholarships
Danner Rowlett has achieved his goal of becoming a Private Pilot!
Danner is one of our 2023 RARA Flight Training Scholarship awardees, and he is a testament to the results you can get when you stay focused and never give up! Congratulations, Danner!
by Jordan Hanhilammi | Aug 29, 2024 | Air Race News, Media, Scholarships
Good Morning Air Racing Fans! We are excited to share that another one of our fantastic scholarship recipients SOLOED yesterday! Congratulations to Maks Barger on this amazing accomplishment!
Check out what Great Basin Aviation has to say about Maks below!
“Get your hot dog and grab your popcorn because Maks Barger just hit a home run and soloed this morning in N495SP at KSPZ on runway 24! This baseball hotshot has been stepping up to the plate in his flight training and knocking it out of the park with every flight. And if his solo achievement wasn’t already impressive enough, Maks is also a proud recipient of the Reno Air Race Association scholarship! Maks has been rounding the bases, showing dedication and hard work with every pitch thrown his way. Today, he proved that he’s not just a heavy hitter on the baseball diamond but also a master of the pattern. Maks, keep your eye on the ball and swing for the fences, that checkride will be just around the corner. Huge congratulations to Maks on this incredible accomplishment. And we can’t forget to congratulate Maks’s coach and CFI, Ryan Mill, who has skillfully guided Maks from the dugout to reach this incredible milestone! Keep your eye on this rookie; he’s sure to be a major league pilot in no time!”
by Jordan Hanhilammi | Aug 23, 2024 | Air Race News, Media, Scholarships
We are excited to report that on Friday, we learned another 2024 Scholarship Squadron recipient became a private pilot! Congratulations to Kiera Grange on this amazing accomplishment!
Check out what Great Basin Aviation had to say about Kiera.
“She’s beauty, she’s grace, but more importantly, she’s aced her private pilot checkride today! That’s right everyone, the scholarship queen, blondie supreme, and fabulous Kiera Grange is a certified private pilot (oh god help us)! While Kiera Grange seems gentle on the exterior, this woman is secretly a beast (but like in the good way).
From being a recipient of many scholarships including the highly esteemed Reno Air Race Association scholarship, working… I don’t know how many jobs anymore, keeping active by casually racing triathlons…, and flying to her hearts content, Kiera Grange is one miracle of a human. You may be thinking to yourself, ‘Hey, I’ve seen that other fella in the picture before.’ Kiera, being the busy body she is, had to run swiftly off to work this morning and opted for a picture with local DPE extraordinaire, Dave Tranquilla. Look at those smiles! Turns out examiners don’t have fangs like we thought (Just kidding).
Let’s give the illustrious Kiera Grange a huge round of applause on this incredible accomplishment! And we can’t forget Kiera’s lifeline and flight instructor, Nathan Morin, for guiding her along the way towards success! Great work you two! Keep up the amazing work!”
