GOGOS SCHOLARSHIPS

Historical Reference Only. This grant system ran from 1998 to 2001. Donors are sought to resume a similar program.

The Collegiate Soaring Association, Inc. (CSA) arranged a set of youth grants for soaring study. These were administered under contract by a full-service FBO, enabling in stages the full range of flight training in sailplanes from first flight to advanced FAI badges, and could cover all on-site costs including flight charges, books, room and board, local transportation, and SSA membership (if not current).

CSA scheduled several grant awards in 1998 as a test of the process, and planned to award five grants of nominally $2,500 in 1999 and 2000, at which point the funds were expected to be exhausted. Grants were targeted towards training in the following categories: A (first flight to solo), C (solo to FAA private license), Silver (XC to FAI badges), and Diamond (advanced badges, wave, racing). Of the five yearly grants, two could be earmarked for college students active in CSA and others could be offered through youth partners of the SSA such as Civil Air Patrol and Exploring. The rest were open to the widest possible youth audience within these eligibility criteria:

• USA Citizen or permanent resident.
• Student (full-time at an academic institution within one year of grant).
• Age limits: 14-25 (inclusive).
• Application to CSA in the form of a nomination from an FAI soaring badge holder within a sponsoring Soaring Club or Operator, by March 31 each year, and a form downloadable from http://www.win.net/~greeley/coll/gogapp.pdf.

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Principal judging criteria will be a strongly documented desire to soar, plans to help promote the amateur sport of soaring among young people in school, and financial need. In the case of the beginner "A" category, additional consideration will apply to candidates with career interests in aviation or aeronautical science, and with above average scholastic or extra-curricular achievement. Previous grant winners may reapply for succeeding grants.

CSA has selected Soar Minden in Nevada to administer these grants. Soar Minden is an SSA business member that flies year round, every day of the week, and offers access to world famous ridge, thermal, and wave conditions. They operate a large modern fleet of sailplanes and are very experienced with supporting cross-country flights for FAI badges. They have a tradition of incorporating young European pilots into their staff and already count one SSA Kolstad award winner, Paul Sabino, as a local product.

Funding for this program traces to one extraordinary man, Bela Gogos, who learned to soar at age 15 and has seen the wisdom of mixing youth and soaring over fifty years. A retired colonel of the Hungarian Air Force, Mr. Gogos is a WWII pilot who started life over in North America after ten years of Soviet imprisonment. Here in the USA, he avidly returned to soaring as a hobby but was surprised at its more leisurely status in our country. Back in wartime and then socialist Hungary, flight training always began with gliders and was far more comprehensive than the USA standard. Resulting from this intensity, our soaring community has acquired gems such as George Uveges, Les Horvath, and Mr. Gogos himself, who has over 2,000 hours in his ASW-20C alone, all his Diamonds and one Lennie, many long cross-countries, and much club mentoring to his credit. With the scope and size of this grant program, CSA hopes to add Hungarian-style strength to USA youth soaring. The cadre of beneficiaries of the program, the "Gogos scholars", should become important resources in the future of our sport.

This program has a limited life of 3 years, which can be considered a trial period. CSA hopes the example will inspire other donors and fostering organizations to continue similar efforts indefinitely. CSA will be pleased to advise on and coordinate such plans.

1998 Gogos Scholars

1999 Gogos Scholars

2000 Gogos Scholars

2001 Gogos Scholars