Winchester Civil Air Patrol Cadet Awarded EAA Ray Aviation Flight Training Scholarship

WINCHESTER, Va. (May 20, 2024) – Civil Air Patrol Cadet Master Sergeant Kobe Kerns, of Winchester, has been selected to receive a Ray Aviation Flight Training Scholarship from the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). This scholarship is an all-expenses-paid opportunity for Cadet Kerns to train and earn his private pilot certificate. The EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship is a scholarship program funded by the Ray Foundation, managed by EAA, and administered through the EAA Chapter network. Through the generous support of the Ray Foundation, EAA provides up to $11,000 to deserving youths to help cover their flight training expenses, totaling $1,800,000 in annual scholarship funding.

Cadet Kerns’ passion for aviation started in 2012, when he was just four years old, mesmerized by the flight to Disney World from Virginia. It did not stop there; in 2016, Cadet Kerns’ first Young Eagles flight was with Bob Prange, EAA 1092318, in his Beechcraft Musketeer, after which 26 Young Eagles flights reignited the fire that started when he was four. Door after door continued to open for Cadet Kerns, including this past January, in which Cadet Kerns completed his solo flight at Winchester Regional Airport, after many hours of training in a Civil Air Patrol aircraft. His flight instructor, Lieutenant Colonel Dean “Norm” Anderson, commented, “Cadet Kerns soloed a Cessna 172 on his 16th Birthday. That’s an achievement few cadets, let alone many pilots, can claim. Kobe is in an elite group. From my perspective on the ground his solo was almost uneventful. His traffic pattern radio calls were excellent, and he made three very nice landings.”

Mr. Bob Prange, EAA Chapter 186’s president, Lt. Col. Dean “Norm” Anderson, Cadet Kerns, and his family celebrated his award of this scholarship earlier this month. Cadet Kerns' impressive journey serves as an epitome to aspiring pilots within the squadron and beyond, showcasing the possibilities that can be achieved with the right guidance and determination. Cadet Kerns will continue to train out of Winchester Regional Airport in a Civil Air Patrol aircraft with Lt. Col. Dean “Norm” Anderson.

For More Information:

Maj Jacob Bixler, CAP, pa @ vawg.cap.gov