The LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation » pilot http://www.leroywhomerjr.org The LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:22:13 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 More Than A Pilot http://www.leroywhomerjr.org/more-than-a-pilot/ http://www.leroywhomerjr.org/more-than-a-pilot/#comments Tue, 01 Feb 2011 14:40:48 +0000 Jane Oswari http://www.leroywhomerjr.org/?p=252 I’ve been a board member with the LeRoy Homer Jr. Foundation since its inception in 2002 but had my first public interview this month on BlogTalkRadio. Beyond Expectations is a talk show on BlogTalkRadio that focuses on organizations that are making a difference and are comprised of individuals who volunteer their time. The experience started off pretty nerve wrecking, but I felt at ease after the first few minutes.

One of the main things we focused on was the life of LeRoy Homer. Even though I knew LeRoy personally and have read about his life before Sept 11, it was different to talk out loud and share it with an audience.  How he worked part time jobs as a teenager to get enough money for flight lessons. How in 8 short years he went from a 16 year old getting his private pilot’s license to graduating the Air Force Academy to achieving the rank of Captain and ultimately, Major.  In between those years, he supported war efforts, was an academy liason officer and a flight instructor. All this before he even began at United Airlines.

Wow, what an achievement!

I think we tend to forget that pilots are real people with real families and real lives and have real dreams. When we step foot on a plane, we take a peek into the cockpit for curiosity sake and don’t really give much of a second thought to it again. The pilots have a family at home waiting for them and take risks to make sure we get to where we need to go. These men and women risk their lives every day to keep us safe in the air. And for that I am thankful.

LeRoy was one of those real people and we are taking his real dream and helping to put more heroes in the sky.

Jane Oswari

Acting Vice President

]]> http://www.leroywhomerjr.org/more-than-a-pilot/feed/ 0 As graduation approaches… http://www.leroywhomerjr.org/as-graduation-approaches/ http://www.leroywhomerjr.org/as-graduation-approaches/#comments Thu, 02 Oct 2008 23:06:23 +0000 Michael Hames http://www.leroywhomerjr.org/?p=120 These past four years have gone by so quick.  I can remember whenever I first started flying with the generous help from this foundation.  I feel like I have come so far from that time, but I still wonder if things will turn out okay.  Over the past few years, the aviation industry has come a long way from its downturn since the September 11th terrorist attacks.  However, recently the financial crisis and unprecedented fuel costs have once again put the industry into a downturn.  And all when I will be graduating in a few months.
Since entering the aviation industry a couple of years ago, I could definitely tell it was going to be a fun ‘rollercoaster ride’.  The industry constantly changes, but this is one of the reasons why I like it so much. It’s never boring, and new challenges emerge almost every day.  I see the changes daily while working at the local F.B.O.  Traffic has decreased significantly due to fuel prices, and there seems to be no solution.  Now, I have started thinking about the possibility of my current job closing or downsizing significantly.  I am hoping everything rebounds, and hope this is just another challenge for everyone. This should only be temporary, and things should only get better in the future.
This past summer I was fortunate to be able to do an internship with United Airlines in Washington D.C.  The experience was amazing, and helped me to notice how close I am to finally achieving my goal.  It was my plan to apply for pilot positions with regional airlines after graduation in December, but will probably have to delay this.  Almost no regional airlines are hiring, and most have already started furloughing pilots.  I feel frustrated for working so hard for four years, but have to keep in my mind that one day things will turn around.  In the meantime, I’ve started applying for airline management positions while waiting for regional airline’s to start hiring again.
I hope people realize how instrumental this foundation is to helping start careers of young aviation professionals, and I will be forever grateful to the great individuals within the foundation.  Flying has become very expensive over the past few years, and I have watched many friends stop flying due to financial strains.  I have wondered if my life might have taken the same path if it weren’t for this scholarship.  Student loans may not be enough to cover the cost of a flight course now as prices have almost doubled where I go to school.
As graduation nears, I am getting ready to embark on what I hope to be an exciting journey.  I know it will definitely be eventful, and never boring. I truly love flying, and know that any changes throughout the industry will only be obstacles to overcome!

Michael Hames,  past scholarship recipient

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