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Aviation Scholarship

Mitchell Cary/Don Gum Memorial Aviation Scholarship

Learn to Fly with NAHA! If you are between 15 and 21 years old and dream of flying, the National Aviation Heritage Alliance can get you started.

NAHA sponsors a scholarship program that will provide $1,500 worth of flying lessons towards earning a Private Pilot or Light Sport Pilot’s Certificate. That’s enough for the average person to learn to fly solo!

This is a competitive scholarship. Only one will be awarded this year but more will be available as funds permit. To be eligible, you must:

▪︎ Be between 15 and 21 years old.

▪︎ Live or go to school in one of the counties of the National Aviation Heritage Area: Auglaize, Champaign, Clark, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Shelby, or Warren. Those outside the Area who have completed Air Camp* and meet the other requirements are also eligible.

▪︎ Be able to pass an FAA third-class medical exam or have a valid Ohio driver’s license

▪︎ Submit an application with supporting documents to NAHA

Instructions for submitting the application are on the form itself. It must be submitted by close of business on Friday, March 1, 2026, to the Executive Director of the National Aviation Heritage Alliance. If you have questions, please follow email instructions. No phone calls, please.

Photo (to the right): U.S. Air Force photo by Daniel Peterson.

Past Scholarship Recipients

Lilly G. (2025 Recipient)

“The Mitchell Cary/Don Gum Memorial Aviation Scholarship helped me to kick off my aviation career 2 months early. I wanted to start training for my private pilot’s license in May of 2025. However, my dad was in between jobs at the time, and we weren’t sure if my family would be able to support my aviation goals until he found another job. Luckily, this scholarship was able to work with my flight school, and helped me start my training when I wanted to. It helped cover a whole summer of flying, allowing me to get a head start on my first certification before winter set in. Now, I have completed my first solo and passed my written private pilot test. I am on track to be a private pilot by the summer. I couldn’t have advanced so quickly without the help of this scholarship, and I am looking forward to where my aviation journey will take me in the future. Thank you so much to the Mitchell Cary/Don Gum Memorial Aviation Scholarship for helping make this possible!”

Bobby R. (2024 Recipient)

“Receiving the Mitchell Cary/Don Gum Memorial Aviation Scholarship has been instrumental in advancing my aviation career. The financial support provided by the scholarship allowed me to focus on my training and education without the burden of financial stress. It enabled me to pursue and accumulate valuable flight hours, accelerating my journey towards becoming a private pilot. Additionally, the scholarship has been a significant motivator, reinforcing my commitment to the field and inspiring me to contribute to the aviation community with the same dedication and passion exemplified by Mitchell Cary and Don Gum.”

Rayni R. (2023 Recipient)

“Receiving the Mitchell Cary/Don Gum Memorial Aviation Scholarship has helped me begin the first step of my aviation journey at Ohio University. I was able to reach my first major milestone in April and complete my first solo. I am on track to continue my flight training this fall and look forward to earning my Private Pilot Certificate. I am grateful to the NAHA for this award, as it has made a great impact on my aviation journey!”

Mitchell Cary & Don Gum

Mitchell Cary was a Purdue University, University of Dayton, and Air Force Institute of Technology graduate with degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Astronautical Engineering, and Engineering Management. He served as a pilot for the U.S. Air Force for many years, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. Following his military career, he worked at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base where he served in numerous roles, including Chief of Commercial Aircraft Testing, Deputy Director of Operations, and Special Operations and Propulsion Program Manager, all while participating in aviation organizations, including as president of Wright “B” Flyer Inc. Cary was also an active member of the Experimental Aircraft Association, the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, and loved flying his Piper J3 Cub aircraft.

Don Gum was a University of Cincinnati and Ohio State University graduate with degrees in Electrical Engineering. Gum was Branch Chief of the Simulation Techniques Branch in the Air Force Human Resources Laboratory and later the Flight Dynamics Laboratory, both at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. He also served on the City of Beavercreek Planning Commission and was active in many aviation organizations, including Wright “B” Flyer, the Experimental Aircraft Association, and Flying Angels, Inc. After his retirement as an electrical engineer, Gum was thrilled to spend his time building and flying airplanes.

2026 applications are closed!
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The National Aviation Heritage Alliance (NAHA) is a private, not-for-profit corporation designated by Congress as the management entity of the National Aviation Heritage Area.

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