James C. Ray Scholarship – Glider Scholarship

Scholarship Name:

James C. Ray Scholarship Fund

Purpose:

To make financial support  flight training  Polk County high school students of merit. The self discipline required – and self confidence developed – during the flight training experience will help mold a stronger, more successful individual.

Eligibility:

• Aged 13 through 18 upon the date their application is submitted.
• An active, full time student within the Polk County Public School System.

Value:

Glider Solo $1,800.00

Glider Rating$2,250.00

Application Submission Process and Completion Date:

Continuous enrollment. May be applied for at any time.

Selection Process:

Applicants seeking grants from the James C. Ray Scholarship Fund will be evaluated on many factors, including (but not limited to) GPA, community service history, extracurricular activities and personal recommendations from the applicant’s teachers and employers. A key element of the scholarship application is a short, thoughtful essay about the applicant, his/her career aspirations and the reason(s) for pursuing flight training. Detailed criteria can be found on the application form available on this web page.

Application:

Download The Application Form (PDF)

History/Background:

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, James witnessed firsthand the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor.  He had moved 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, James enlisted in the U.S. 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, James flew his Cessna 170B on business trips and personal trips that took him to 58 countries and 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 believes the discipline and skills 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 make financial support for flight training available to Polk County high school students of merit. The self discipline required – and self confidence developed – during the flight training experience will help mold a stronger, more successful individual.

Website:

The Central Florida Aerospace Academy  – James C. Ray Scholarship Fund