Teen begins flying towards his dream

(CNS): Seventeen-year-old Samuel Hale Whitney of South Sound has been awarded the Zak Quappé Flight Scholarship for 2014. Whitney, who was born in George Town and has had a fascination for flying from an early age, has dreams of becoming a commercial pilot for Cayman Airways. The scholarship committee said the funding would give him the opportunity to begin his private pilot training this month and the cash he needed to achieve his dream. On his entry application he told the selection committee that it was an opportunity he would not have had otherwise. “I plan to give back to keep the ZQFS growing so that more young adults receive the chance to follow dreams that might not be possible without foundations such as this." 

Having attended the two-week long Embry Riddle University Flight Introduction camp in thesummer at Daytona Beach, Florida, Whitney has already logged his first flight hours in a Cessna 172. 

This is precisely where the late Zak Quappé, whom the scholarship is in memory of, logged his first flight hours some nine years ago. Zak Quappé, whose young life was taken in a tragic accident this past May, was only 21 years old. He logged nearly 400 hours of flight time and had earned his commercial pilot's licence and was a Certified Flight Instructor for the Cayman Flying Club.

Based locally in Grand Cayman, he had already taught over 100 hours of flight instruction to his students. He was well respected amongst his peers and students and will be forever remembered as a truly gifted aviator. In honour of Quappe’s memory, the ZQFS committee hopes to contribute to the dreams of other young Caymanian adults in their pursuit of flight training. In order to accomplish this goal, the scholarship relies heavily on financial support from the Cayman Islands community.

Contributors, such as Marcus Cumber of Island Air, Jeff and Kelly McGlashan of Trees4Life Cayman, Surf Side Restaurant and other local businesses who have given their time and resources have played an important role to help get the scholarship off the ground.  

Organisers also thanked all the kind individuals and those who supported through attending 'Cocktails and Cabaret' for their generous donations. 

If you wish to support this foundation, the ZQFS can be contacted either through Sheree Ebanks at sebanks@me.com, or via the Cayman Flying Club at info@caymanflyingclub.com.