R-MA Aviation Wins FAA Grant

The Randolph-Macon Academy Aviation department has a new feather in its cap! In December, the Federal Aviation Administration has awarded R-MA $307,215.90 of supplemental funding as part of the FAA Aircraft Pilots Workforce Development Grant Program.

“In early January 2021, we got the notification of this funding opportunity. They outlined $5 million in funding with a rigorous selection process which they opened up to high schools across the country, and if you met a certain number of requirements, you could qualify for that opportunity,” explained Brian Kelly, Director of Unmanned Systems (drones).

The implications of this funding are important and far-reaching for the Aviation program at R-MA. Over the next year and a half, the grant will be used to bring in additional flight simulators, so students can log more practice hours and safely experience a variety of flight conditions; and to offer free discovery flights to students considering the aviation program. On the Unmanned side, the program will add new drone platforms and payload sensors - equipment that “a lot of universities are going to wish they had!” Mr. Kelly exclaimed.

But most importantly, this grant will provide financial aid opportunities for prospective students. “There are about 65 financial aid opportunities that are a part of this grant,” said Mr. Kelly. “We have a number of scholarships ranging from $1,500 to $10,000 to pursue that dream of aviation in the manned or unmanned world.”