Minden Soaring Club awards $5K in scholarships to area students

Five students from the area were awarded scholarships by the Minden Soaring Club (MSC) to help finance flight and ground instruction in preparation for obtaining a private or other glider rating.

Five scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each were awarded to youths who demonstrated they are interested in learning to fly gliders and/or who have already begun their training and need additional monetary assistance. The scholarships were announced by the MSC Board of Trustees at the club’s annual general meeting on March 18, 2018.

Scholarship winners are all from northern Nevada:

Ryan Holcomb of Carson City
Joshua Nord of Gardnerville
Ari Erickson of Carson City
Emily Hillman of Gardnerville
Ivan Altunin of Incline Village

Scholarship recipients will be eligible to apply for an additional $500 in addition to the initial award of $1,000 to assist with paying for costs associated with taking their written and flight tests to obtain their private glider license.

Soaring is the art and science of using the natural movement of the atmosphere to stay aloft, climb and travel long distances in a motor-less aircraft. Minden, Nevada is known as one of the finest soaring sites in the world, offering clear dry air, mountains and valleys which generate lift and relatively clear airspace. Gliders can stay aloft for hours and cover hundreds of miles using nothing but the pilot’s skill and rising air. Glider pilots must go through the same certification procedures as powered airplane pilots, and with proper training, a pilot can solo a glider by age 14 and obtain their private pilot glider rating by age 16.

The MSC is a non-profit 5-1(c)(3) corporation which was organized to promote soaring in the region by encouraging education to improve pilot safety and proficiency through training and education. Donations for the scholarship fund are gratefully accepted.