Following an Eventful Summer, it’s Now Back to School for Hoover Scholars

It’s been a busy and memorable summer for the four distinguished recipients of the 2017 Bob Hoover Presidential Scholarship, presented in partnership between CJP and the Bob Hoover Legacy Foundation. Brooke, Kimberly, Andrius, and Dillon recently provided these updates before they returned to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) campuses in Prescott, AZ and Daytona Beach, FL to continue their aviation-related studies.

Brooke Harrington

I hope you’ve all had a wonderful Summer! The Fall semester is in full swing and I’m very excited to get back to class and flight training. Over the summer I successfully mastered Physics, something I never thought possible, and I’m excited to further my knowledge in Physics II. The class I’m most excited about this semester is Aviation Law. Law has always been something enjoyed and found very interesting. It’s very important everyone in aviation knows what their rights are and with this class I’ll be better equipped to help myself and others.

My last half of the summer was, in a word, epic. It was filled with so many first timers and surprises! CJP invited both Kim and myself to AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI. Talk about aviation overload! When we arrived, I had no idea we were in for three days of aviation packed excitement! This was my first time in Wisconsin and my first time seeing so many remarkable airplanes parked in one place! We first received a tour of the world’s busiest control tower, during a TFR of course, and it was the best view in the house!

There’s an airshow every day that can be seen from anywhere on the grounds and an insane number of planes lined up everywhere. Just when I didn’t think things could get any more exciting we were surprised with not one but two helicopter rides! Of course, this was my first time in a helicopter and what a thrill! The first helicopter had no doors so it was a little scary at first but once I had a full aerial view of the field I was hooked! There was also a CJP barbecue in honor of Bob Hoover that was beautifully done. It was a great opportunity to meet more CJP members and a few big names in Aviation. I wanted to thank everyone for being so helpful and welcoming, Tracy and Rae for being such awesome host, and of course Cheryl and Hugh our extraordinary tour guides and chauffeurs!

I finished up the summer with a quick trip to Miami to visit my family then it was off to Colorado! This was my first time in Colorado and the highest elevation I’ve been. I spent a few days in Denver to visit various museums around the city and reached the one mile above sea level steps at the capital. From Denver I drove to Breckenridge, a town at the base of the Rocky Mountains with an elevation of over 9,000 feet!

It was definitely an adjustment from being at sea level my entire life; on my first night there I had acute hypoxia! Thankfully I recognized the signs from my extensive hypoxia training and made sure to take it easy my first day to allow my body to adjust before exploring the mountains. I took a gondola ride over to White River National Park. It was a tough hike, but I made it to the overlook with an elevation of 11,000 feet and witnessed some (literally) breathtaking views of the mountains! While the mountains did make for absolutely beautiful scenery, I was very happy to return to sea level a few days later!

Andrius Logvinenka

The last time I wrote the update was right before I left summer vacation. Before I left I was on an accelerated program to finish my Private Pilot License, this program got me free housing for Summer A, which lasted until about the end of June. There was a fire near Prescott, which during that time I could not fly, and I was not able to finish my private before I left. Currently, I am waiting to finish my training for my Private Pilot License. I only have the end of course stage check, and after I pass that I go on to take my check ride.

For the Summer B portion of the summer, I went back home back to Reno. While I was there I took two summer classes, Business Communications and Oral Communications. I took these classes at Truckee Meadows Community College, which I attended during high school, because they were a little cheaper than taking them in Riddle. I enjoyed the classes, and actually learned quite about communications in the real world and the workplace. I finished both classes during the first week of August, and finished with A’s in both classes.

During my time off school during the second portion of summer, I tried to spend most of my time with friends and family. I haven’t seen them in about seven months, so being with everyone was very valuable to me. I went to Lake Tahoe with my family almost every week, which the views are still jaw dropping every time. I also went to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom with a couple of my friends and had a wonderful time.

Currently I just started my first week of my sophomore year in Riddle. My current goal right now is to finish my Private Training in about a month after I receive my instructor. I am currently taking Instrument Ground School, Aircraft Performance, Crew Resource Management and Aviation Weather. All of these classes seem very interesting to me and I think I will majorly benefit from them in the flight training and my future career.

I currently have 71 credits entering my sophomore term, which is a lot compared to my peers. My current plan, which is to take about 16 credits per semester, I will finish school classes before my flight. To try and finish at the same time, I plan on staying the whole entire summer of 2018, and hopefully finish my instrument training then and start commercial.

Kimberly Martinez

I will forever treasure the summer of ’17. This summer has been surreal thanks to the big-hearted Citation Jet Pilots Owner Pilot Association.

As my first time attending EAA’s AirVenture, going with CJP went beyond what I could have ever dreamed of or ever hoped for. The whole experience to me was as if I had died and gone to Aviation heaven. I greatly appreciate Cheryl Hardy for organizing the tour to the Oshkosh ATC Tower.

Going up the tower was special to me not just because I got to experience the world’s busiest tower during the week of Oshkosh, but primarily because this was my first time going inside an Air Traffic Control tower. Additionally, Tracy blew us away with two helicopter rides! It was quite a sight to see Oshkosh from the air. I will never forget this flight. It was also very interesting to sit in the co-pilot seat and compare the similarities and differences between flying a Cessna 172 versus a helicopter.
Above all the surprises and tours, my most memorable and impactful moment at Oshkosh was the “Remembering Bob Hoover” presentation and the Bob Hoover Toast. Both events were powerful where everyone came together to celebrate Bob Hoover’s awe-inspiring life and legacy. Although I did not have the privilege to meet Bob Hoover in person, I was able to meet him there through all the people there who personally knew him and who reflected his legendary spirit.

A special shout out to Tracy, Rae and Cheryl. I thank them for their dedication, kindness, time, and efforts to make this trip of a life time possible.

This Summer I also started my internship with Allegiant Air at the Orlando Sanford International Airport as the Flight Ops intern to Allegiant’s Eastern Region Chief pilot. This position allows me to job shadow airline pilots. My most favorite part is doing the pre-flight walk around inspection and soaking in the knowledge they transmit to me. Currently I am working on a project with Allegiant’s Air Traffic Control Coordinator concerning ADS-B test flights. Although I am only a student pilot, I am most thankful to be given this opportunity to be as exposed to my career goal of becoming an airline pilot.
Alongside my internship, I am also commuting to Daytona Beach to take two classes at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. I will be taking Commercial Pilot Operations (AS321) and Domestic and International Navigation (AS350). Taking these courses alongside my internship will better equip me and give me a better insight on how Part 121 air carriers operate.

Thank you again to CJP for giving me the best summer yet. The experience that CJP gave me this Summer I am forever in debt for, but will be forever grateful for.

Dillon Smith

It feels as though it has come all too soon, but I am back in school for my fall semester of junior year at Embry-Riddle Prescott. I am taking Commercial Pilot Ground School, Radar and Satellite Weather Product Interpretation, Marketing, Domestic and International Navigation as well as Crew Resource Management. By the time you read this I will have finished my first week of classes. Classes are going well and all in all I am excited for what this semester has in store. However, I did enjoy the freedom and relaxation during summer break.

To recap the rest of my summer experiences, I finished my work at Embry-Riddle Summer Programs in late July and took a month off at home with my family in Washington State. I had a very rewarding experience working at Summer Programs. I took care of an abundance of tasks from creating work schedules for the employees to responding to medical emergencies for campers. My experiences taught me a lot about being an effective servant leader.

While visiting home in Washington, my family and I took a family trip to Montana. It was a bittersweet experience as the purpose of the trip was to host a funeral for my Grandfather who had passed earlier in the year. However, I also got to see my cousins and nephews that I haven’t seen in many years.

I also rented a Cessna 172M and took my best friend flying over my local area and attended the Seattle SeaFair Airshow with my Dad. I can now truthfully say I’ve had an F-22 Raptor and the Blue Angles fly over my head. In total, I spent a month as home which is the longest I have been away from the University. It was a great way to rest and recharge for another two years.

My goals this semester include earning A’s in all my classes, maintaining my 3.98 GPA and to achieve my Instrument Pilot Rating. I am currently on the second and final stage of the instrument training course at Embry-Riddle, most recently working on non-precision approaches and thinking about where I want to fly for my cross-countries in the near future.

This semester, I will be applying for an internship at Alaska Airlines for next summer. Hopefully by this time next year I will be ending my work at Alaska Airlines Dispatch at the Seattle Tacoma International Airport. I have a lot of goals and ambitions to achieve this semester so I plan to stay very focused and ready for whatever life has to throw at me.

Once again thank you for your support, encouragement, and interest in my college endeavors and career development.