The winners of the 2012 WINGS OVER PARADISE scholarships were honored at a reception held May 9 at the Page Field Base Ops FBO.  Since the chapter's founding in 2007, members have worked to raise money for the scholarship fund by hosting event such as the start of the 2010 Air Race Classic and the 2011 Southeast Section 99's Fall meeting.  A research project for the American Air Campers Association also added to our coffers. Profits from the annual proficiency competition, the Sunshine Derby, enable our fund to continue to grow.

Ms Michelle Estevez of Cape Coral is the winner of our $2000 cash scholarship.  Michelle is a student at FGCU, majoring in Biology.  Her long term goal is to be a pediatrician.  She is training with CFI-I Ashley Davis at Paragon Flight Training at KFMY.  Michelle is a licensed pharmacy technician employed at Lee Memorial Hospital.

Chapter Chair Nancy Moore(left),

Michelle Estevez(center),

and Scholarship Chair Ellen Herr(right).

New for this year's scholarship was the simulator and CFI instruction package donated to the Paradise Coast 99's by Mr. Jim Hendricks of Naples Flight Simulator, LLC.  Mr. Hendricks has over 25,000 hours of flight time in a wide variety of aircraft, and holds ATP, MEI, CFII, and A&P ratings.  As his way of "giving back" to the aviation community, Mr. Hendricks donated 20 hours of instruction time using the AST 300 simulator to assist a student in obtaining her advanced rating.

The winner of the simulator package was Donna Hendrickson of Punta Gorda.  Donna has her private single and multiengine, as well as single engine instrument ratings.  She will be training for her single and multiengine commerical ratings, as well as her multiengine instrument rating.  With more than 500 hours total time, Donna's goal is a career as a flight instructor and corporate pilot.  Donna will also be training with Mr. Edward Leffingwell, CFII, MEI, AGII, who is based at Charlotte Co. Airport.  Ed has been Donna's instructor for seven years, and has been flying for more than 50 years.  Together all three will be an unbeatable team!

Ed Leffingwell (left)

Donna Hendrickson

(center)

and

Jim Hendricks (right)

From left to right:

Jeffrey Wolf, Chief Flight Instructor,

Paragon Flight Training

chapter member Kelsey Mulloy, CFI-I, MEI

chapter member Michelle Extevez and

instructor Ashley Davis, CFI-I

The 4th annual SUNSHINE DERBY awards luncheon was held at Mel's Diner in Fort Myers on April 29.

This year's Derby had a new format, a cross country VFR route. Following a series of aeronautical clues, each pilot had to plot a course, and identify landmarks and objects on the ground.  Chosing the correct weather and visibility conditions, navigating airspace and avoiding obstacles were part of the contest. Points were awarded for accurate navigation and observation.

Terry Carbonell and Ellen Herr were the judges.

The SUNSHINE DERBY winners are... a TIE for FIRST PLACE!!

Susan Carastro/Robin Holtsinger

and

Anne-Marie Lavallee/George Houston

Congratulations to these sharp-eyed aviators!

The event also included a POKER RUN judged by Carolyn Skaggs.  Airports where  cards were placed included X14, X06, KBOW, KCHN and KFMY

.

Winners were able to choose among an array of gift bags with all    kinds of flying equipment any pilot might need!

Our first place winners (with a straight) are Evelyn Treworgy, Jack  Jawitz, and Augustin Camejo from Sarasota!!

Other poker winners included Anne-Marie and George, Nancy, Marilyn, Cheryl Lynn and Stan, Jessica, and Anne.

MANY THANKS to all the fliers who participated, and those who donated their time and energy to making this event happen!

See you all NEXT YEAR!!!

Each year a group of young adults from Great Britain visits south Florida as part of a camp organized by the Royal Air Force Air Cadets Air Cadets program.  This year 56 participants visited Florida and participated in general aviation educational and support activities.  For more than 18 years the cadets have also volunteered marshalling traffic at the Sun 'n Fun International Air Show during their 2 week camp in Florida.  They are also scheduled to visit Kennedy Space Center and the Civil Air Patrol.  The cadets program provides a practical introduction to general aviation as well as the Royal Air Force.  Flight programs available include glider training and powered flight in light aircraft such as the Cessna 172.

For more information please see their website www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets.

On Sunday March 25 a group of 56 cadets flew in 8 planes to the Oakridge Cemetery in Arcadia, FL. 99s members Susan Carastro(FL Goldcoast chapter) and Terry Carbonell and Ellen Herr(Paradise Coast) flew 3 of these aircraft. Cadets visited the "British Plot" which has the graves of 23 British servicemen who perished during flight training,and listened to a brief history lesson about the significance of flight training in FL.  Cadets laid a wreath and raised the Union Jack over the cemetery to honor these airmen. Buried alongside the servicemen is John Riddle, who co-owned the flight school where the pilots were trained. Riddle was given the MBE(Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for his service to Great Britain and co-founded Embry Riddle Aeronautical University after the war.

Each cadet flew had a 30 minute flight and was able to talk with the pilots about their aircraft, assist with navigation and traffic spotting, and have their logbooks signed.  Rain showers over Arcadia and interesting air traffic control procedures arriving and departing Sun 'n Fun also gave them some practical experience with flight challenges at a major air show. The cadets were a great group to fly with and we hope to make this event an annual chapter activity.