James C. Ray Flight Training Scholarship

The Central Florida Aerospace Academy Foundation, Inc. (CFAAF) is very proud to administer the James C. Ray Scholarship Fund.

James Ray was born in 1923 in San Francisco, California. Mr. Ray graduated from high school at the age of 17 and found his first employment as a steelworker, helping to construct several of San Francisco’s more prominent skyscrapers. On December 7, 1941, at the age of 18, Mr. Ray witnessed firsthand the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. He had traveled to Hawaii to work on a construction project for the Navy that was situated just a few hundred yards from the USS Arizona battleship as the attack unfolded.

Shortly thereafter, Mr. Ray enlisted in the US Army Air Corps and served as a B-17 command pilot in the 8th Air Force, 447th Bomb Group, which was stationed at Rattlesden, England. He flew a total of 30 missions, including raids on the Schweinfurt ball-bearing plants in Germany. He was also lead pilot on a D-Day attack on German headquarters in Normandy, France.

After the war, Mr. Ray flew his Cessna 170B on business trips and personal trips to 58 countries and to every Caribbean island with a landing strip. He has also flown extensively in North America as a rancher, oil and gas explorer and real estate developer, logging more than 3,500 hours in single-pilot Citations over a 29-year period.

Mr. Ray believed the disciplines he obtained during flight training truly helped him become the successful individual he is today. With the hope that other young people might benefit from this same type of activity and the positive, life-changing opportunities it presents, the James C. Ray Scholarship Fund was established to provide financial support for flight training and continuing education to Polk County public and private high school students and equivalent home-schooled students residing in Polk County. The self-discipline required – and self-confidence developed – during the flight training experience or continuing education will help mold a stronger, more successful individual.

James C. Ray Flight Training Scholarship Framework

Purpose: The James C. Ray Scholarship aims to support individuals pursuing careers in aviation, including but not limited to pilot, maintenance technician, avionics technician, or aviation administration.

Application window of submission and notification timeline:

Applications will be accepted January 1-31, May 1-30, and October 1-31; applicants will be notified by February 28, June 30, and November 30, respectively.

Eligibility requirements:

1. Reside or attend secondary school in Polk County
2. Maintain a 2.75 unweighted cumulative GPA
3. Be 16-19 years of age
4. Hold a current government issued photo ID

Application requirements:

Applicants will be further reviewed based on demonstration of earned performance indicators; applicants will be ranked according to points earned.

In addition, applicants must upload a 3-minute self-recorded video to the application portal. The video recording should address their background in aviation, why they are applying for the scholarship and a response to one of the following prompts:

• Discuss two challenges in the aviation and aerospace industry and how they might be addressed
• Identify a recent (last 5 years) innovation in aviation and discuss its impact on the industry
• Identify a recent (last 5 years) innovation in aviation safety and discuss its impact on the industry

Applicants who successfully complete the requirements will be asked to schedule an interview with the scholarship review committee. Applicants who do not successfully complete the requirements are encouraged to re-apply during the next submission window.  

Award Disbursement

During each award period, 12 applications will be selected. Eight applicants will be awarded and four will serve as alternates. Each award will be applied toward a specific month such that two awards per month will be disbursed; the number of awards per month is commensurate with the allotment of slots at flight training schools in the county. For example, for the October 1-31 application submission window, 8 recipients will be selected; two recipients will start training in December; two in January; two in February; and finally, two in March. The same schedule applies to January’s and May’s application submission windows.

Should the number of flight training allotments across the county increase, the scholarship review team will review the number of awards given.

A recipient of this award may not re-apply for an additional opportunity to receive the scholarship.

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