JANUARY 6, 2025 – Headquarters Air Force Junior ROTC has announced the high school cadets who received scholarships to attend an accredited private pilot certificate training program in the summer of 2025 at aviation universities nationwide.
More than 1,200 cadets from units around the world applied for one of the 194 AFJROTC Flight Academy scholarships, each valued at nearly $27,000. The scholarship covers transportation, room and board, academics and the flight hours required to earn a private pilot certificate. This certificate allows pilots to carry passengers in and out of all civil airports, fly at night, in controlled airspaces and in the category of aircraft for which they are certified, typically small single-engine aircraft.
Now in its seventh year, the AFJROTC Flight Academy Scholarship Program is a U.S. Air Force initiative in collaboration with the commercial aviation industry to address a national pilot shortage. To date, 1,059 AFJROTC cadets have earned their private pilot certificates through this program, including several teens who could legally fly before they received their driver’s licenses.
Compared with civilian pilot training options, the AFJROTC Flight Academy boasts an impressive success rate. Nationally, less than 20% of flight students who complete a solo flight go on to earn their pilot certification. However, more than 80% of AFJROTC Flight Academy cadets have successfully earned their private pilot certificates.
While not a military recruiting program, the AFJROTC Flight Academy has significantly influenced cadets’ futures. More than 65% of past participants have joined a military accessions program after high school graduation.
The Flight Academy also expands the pool of prospective future pilots. Female pilot representation in the U.S. Air Force and civilian aviation industry is approximately 5-6%, and minority representation is 10-12%. In contrast, 43% of Air Force Junior ROTC cadets are female, and 57% are minority members. Additionally, about half of AFJROTC’s 830 programs are in socioeconomically challenged or underrepresented areas. Offering this program nationally to the more than 85,000 Air Force Junior ROTC cadets currently enrolled inspires many who may never have considered a career in aviation to pursue flying. In 2024, 28% of AFJROTC Flight Academy graduates were female, and 23% were minority males.
Past Flight Academy graduates have praised the program. “My first solo was exhilarating – it was and still is hard to believe that I could fly an aircraft on my own at 16 years old. Having my PPL [Private Pilot Certificate] is a huge advantage when applying for jobs and internships, and it has [assisted] my Air Force pilot training,” said 2nd Lt. Isaac Chang, a 2018 Flight Academy graduate and 2024 undergraduate pilot training graduate who is nearing completion of the T-1A Jayhawk advanced phase of pilot training for students selected to fly airlift or tanker aircraft.
“The Flight Academy was likely the main reason I got a pilot slot. The hours at Purdue [University] were awesome and looked great on my PCSM [Pilot Candidate Selection Method]. What surprised me most about the Flight Academy is the lifelong friendships I made and how small the Air Force is,” said 2nd Lt. John Paschall, who is currently in Phase 3 of undergraduate pilot training, flying the T-38 Talon with hopes of flying fighter aircraft in the Air Force.
According to Ben Caro, AFJROTC Flight Academy director, this year’s selection process was the most competitive yet. “We continue to see our best and brightest cadets compete for this prestigious program, and I couldn’t be prouder of the talent and dedication we saw in this year’s applicant pool. The future of aviation looks very bright!”
Headquarters Air Force Junior ROTC Public Affairs