2023 Year In Review
It was another great year for Flight Experience for Youth (FEFY) and the Sugarbush Soaring youth programs! We have videos, great stories and Q & A with our young participants.
It was another great year for Flight Experience for Youth (FEFY) and the Sugarbush Soaring youth programs! This came despite a very challenging season during which we lost a record number of flying days due to weather. Four youth members passed FAA checkrides in gliders: Danny Burns (flight instructor), Luc Zipkin (commercial), Tim Wilson & Braden Martens (private pilot). In addition, Sebastian Arce (age 14) soloed and Luc Zipkin was our primary tow pilot. FEFY was proud to help Tim, Braden, Danny and Luc cover the costs of their checkrides. FEFY was also able to provide $12,900 in scholarships for five youth who attended overnight soaring camps.
This is all possible due to generous donations from people like you! So far, FEFY has received contributions from over 40 different donors in 2023 and is nearing its end-of-the-year fundraising goal of $50,000. As one donor said, “I am constantly impressed by "FEFY kids". To a person, they are exceptional.” We couldn’t agree more. And it’s not just the young people that make FEFY special. It’s the dedicated group of donors, parents and volunteers who run FEFY. Thank you all for helping youth soar!
With sincere thanks,
The FEFY BOD - Jen Stamp (President), Eve Silverman (Treasurer), Danny Burns (Secretary), Brian Wagner, Emilio Arce & FEFY’s Youth Advisers - Tim Wilson and Braden Martens.
In 2023, FEFY Funded
184 flights for 10 line crew members
Annual dues for 29 youth members
4 FAA written exams ($170 each)
3 FAA checkrides ($600 each)
Preparations (ground and flight) for two new Private Pilots - Glider
$12,900 in scholarships for 5 recipients
Youth camp counselor flights
Youth Pilot Accomplishments at 0B7
1 Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) - Glider
1 Commercial Pilot Glider Add-on
2 Private Pilot Glider certificates
1 first solo in PW-6
1 first solo in SGS 2-33
1 first solo in SGS 1-26
Other Highlights
First youth soaring camp with more females than males
First Soaring Discovery Day
FEFY’s Schweizer 2-33 made 393 flights and got a new sticker!
Youth Pilot Accomplishments
Danny Burns, Flight Instructor - Glider
Danny passed his Certified Flight Instructor – Glider (CFI-G) checkride on July 12, with support from FEFY, Sugarbush Soaring and the Soaring Society of America. He didn’t waste any time and started giving instruction that afternoon at camp #1! He then helped Braden, Tim and Luc prepare for their checkrides in late August and signed off Sebastian for his first solo. Danny is a junior at Olin College of Engineering in Needham, MA and serves as Secretary on the FEFY BOD.
Read our Q & A session with Danny about his year in review
Luc Zipkin, Commercial Glider and Tow Pilot
Luc passed his Commercial Glider Add-on checkride on August 22. In addition to flying gliders, he was also Sugarbush Soaring’s primary tow pilot from May through August. Luc started flying at 0B7 (Warren Sugarbush airport) when he attended youth soaring camp at age 13. He is a junior at Wesleyan University in Middleton, CT and serves on the Sugarbush Soaring BOD. When he’s not at school, there’s a good chance you’ll find him at Goodspeed airport working on additional aviation ratings, his antique Land Rover or his own non-profit.
Tim Wilson, Private Pilot - Glider
Tim passed his private pilot checkride on August 21. He has been the Line Crew Chief for the last three years and was a junior counselor at camp #2. Tim is an integral part of our team at 0B7 and is known for his aptitude for fixing things (whether it be RC planes, glider instruments or hangar doors) as well as for being an early riser (it’s not unusual to see him mowing at the airport at 6am in his red rain suit while listening to books on tape). Tim is a senior at Harwood High School and serves as a Youth Advisor on FEFY. Next season he plans to work on his commercial glider certificate and work as an Airport Operations Assistant at 0B7.
Read our Q & A session with Tim
Braden Martens, Private Pilot - Glider
Braden passed his private pilot checkride on August 21 (same day as Tim) at age 16. He has been a senior Line Crew member and trainer for the last several years, helped out at both camps and is an integral part of our team at 0B7. After his checkride, Braden wasted no time getting checked out in the PW-6 (a higher performance glider) and took several family members flying. He had some of the longest flights of the season, including a 3-hour flight in the SGS 1-26 and a 2-hour flight with his father in the PW-6. Braden is a junior at Harwood High School and serves as a Youth Advisor on FEFY. Next season he plans to build more flight hours and study for his FAA commercial written exam so that he’ll be ready to take his commercial glider checkride when he turns 18.
Sebastian Arce, First Solo
Sebastian soloed for the first time in the SGS 2-33 on August 21 (the same day that Braden and Tim passed their checkrides. Needless to say, that was a busy day!). He followed that up with a solo in the single-place SGS 1-26 on October 1, which is no small feat for a 14-yr old! Sebastian’s soaring skills really improved this season, to the point where we started a new award in his honor called the “anti-flying brick award.” On several occasions, he took a low altitude ‘pattern tow’ (that usually lasts 5-10 minutes) and stayed up for as much as an hour. Sebastian first started flying at 0B7 in 2022 when he attended his first soaring camp. In addition to attending camps, he is on the Line Crew, is an avid RC pilot and is known for ‘rocking’ the bucket hat with Tim.
Accomplishments away from 0B7
Beckett Buckley, Solo (Power)
Beckett, a Line Crew member from Montpelier, soloed for the first time on November 20 in a Cessna 172. He is doing his power training at the Vermont Flight Academy in Burlington.
Mike Vinton, Instrument Checkride
Mike Vinton recently passed his instrument checkride. Mike was a counselor at camp #1 and started flying at 0B7 as a 13-year old attending youth soaring camp. Mike is doing his flight training in Florida and is pursuing a career as a professional pilot. He says that his involvement with the camps focused him on flying for a living (and fun).
Scholarships
FEFY awarded about $18,000 worth of scholarships in 2023. This included:
~$13,000 for five campers at the Sugarbush Soaring Youth Soaring Camps (YSCs)
~$5,000 to help Line Crew and youth members (Tim, Braden, Danny and Luc) cover the costs of their FAA written exams and checkrides
Camp Scholarships
In 2023, the cost of the youth soaring camps was $3,600 per camper. FEFY awarded three full scholarships and two partial scholarships. The full scholarships included the Luke Hammer Memorial scholarship for Vermont youth ages 13-18 and scholarships for African Americans and Female, Transgender or Non-Binary Youth. The last two scholarships were created to help realize FEFY’s goal of increasing the diversity and inclusiveness of the sport of soaring and to make these experiences available to groups who are traditionally underrepresented in aviation. It is worth noting that camp # 2 had more females than males, which was a first! Next year’s YSC scholarship application period will run from February 1 to March 15, 2024.
Lily, a 14-yr old from Vermont, received the 2023 Luke Hammer scholarship. She had never flown prior to camp, but by her last flight, was doing nearly all but the landing on her own.
FAA Exam & Checkride Scholarships
Obtaining an FAA pilot certificate is a major undertaking. In addition to getting a certain minimum number of solo and dual flights, you also need to pass an FAA written exam (or, in the case of Danny, two exams for his CFI), and then a practical exam (with oral and flight portions) with an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE). Costs include the FAA written exam ($175), the DPE examiner fee ($600), flights to prepare for the checkride and flights during the checkride itself. FEFY was proud to help Tim, Braden, Danny and Luc with the costs of their checkrides and/or checkride preparations. Danny also received a CFI-G incentive scholarship from the Soaring Society of America.
We kept the FAA Flight Examiner busy on August 21 & 22!
On August 21, Tim and Braden both passed their Private Pilot checkrides. In addition, Sebastian soloed for the first time, and was signed off by Danny (his first solo sign-off). On August 22, Luc passed his Commerical Glider Add-on checkride.
From left to right: Tim, Sebastian, Danny, Braden and Tom Anderson.
Line Crew
In 2023, FEFY funded 184 flights for 10 Line Crew members at a total cost of ~$20,000. The Line Crew program is a ‘work to fly’ program run by Sugarbush Soaring. In this season-long program, qualified students, typically ages 13 to 18, work on the field under the supervision of a flight instructor and earn credits toward instructional or solo glider flights. They have many duties and attention to safety, clear communications, strict procedures and excellent situational awareness are critical.
The Line Crew program is about peer-to-peer learning and paying it forward. Danny is a great example. He started as a quiet and shy Line Crew member at age 13 and was ‘taught the ropes’ by his peers, who at the time included Jackson Markow, Ryan Dessureau, Nick Colwell and Ethan Loomis. Eventually Danny became the Line Crew Chief and trained the next generation of Line Crew (which included Tim, Braden and Maia), while learning how to teach and lead. Now Danny is a flight instructor, with 60 instructional flights under his belt, who helped prepare Tim and Braden for their checkrides, and Tim, Braden and Maia are teaching the new generation of Line Crew.
The lessons they learn extend well beyond the airport and come at a very formative time in their lives. As one Line Crew parent says,
‘The experience with Sugarbush Soaring Association’s youth programs has been transformative for my son, fostering a significant boost in his confidence/self-awareness and resilience. Through the program’s unique blend of practical aviation skills coupled with on-the-job training, he has honed his leadership and time management skills. The accountability and discipline essential in the aviation field have equipped him with invaluable life skills that extend beyond the program’s scope and enrich his everyday life.’
Read more testimonials by Line Crew parents
Silas and Milo are among our ‘next generation’ of Line Crew. In 2024, Milo will finally be old enough to attend soaring camp (which he signed up for 2 years ago!)
Spotlight - Coleman Martin
Coleman Martin visited the airport at age 6 and had been patiently waiting to join the Line Crew ever since. This year he was finally old enough to join and he turned out to be one of the quickest learners the Line Crew program has ever had. Within a few weeks, he completed the training and was earning full flight credits. He has excellent situational awareness and attention to detail. When we asked his mom, Bowen Holden, what kind of impact the Line Crew program has had on Coleman, she replied: “Becoming a part of the SSA line crew last summer was a transformational experience for our son. As a bright, curious child full of energy and wonder, the traditional school system has been a challenge for a number of reasons; however, what he found at SSA was an environment that fostered his curiosity, energy and wonder and enabled him to learn, grow and become a far more confident version of himself. Thanks to Tom, Jen, and all who interacted with our son last summer - he is truly becoming the very best version of himself.” Click here to read more Line Crew parent testimonials.
Youth Member Annual Dues
One of the ways FEFY helps make flying more accessible to youth is by covering annual dues for all Youth Members. In 2023, FEFY paid annual dues for 29 Youth Members (age 21 and younger) at a cost of ~$5,000. The dues allow Youth Members to qualify for reduced rates on aircraft rental and instruction and provide them with insurance coverage when they solo.
This means a lot to Youth Members like Nick Colwell (Line Crew alum), who wrote to FEFY and said,
“Thank you for covering Youth Member dues this year. This is the last year that I’m eligible to be a Youth Member, and while I have been away at college and haven’t been able to fly much the last couple of summers, it means a lot to have FEFY make it easier to stay part of the airport community and to come back and fly. FEFY, the Line Crew program, and flying at 0B7 were more formative for me during high school than I can even convey. I continue to regularly draw on what I learned from that experience in my everyday life, at my job, in school, and in applying to work after graduation, and I expect to continue using it in the future. I hope to be back at the airport and get in the air before too long. In the meantime, thank you for covering the dues and for everything else you’re doing for the Line Crew program, soaring camps, and other youth activities at the airport.”
Youth Soaring Camps
In 2023, Sugarbush Soaring ran two youth soaring camps, during which participants camped out at the airport (0B7) for a week, took 10 flights, received daily ground school lessons and were trained to run the flight line. Each camp had nine campers and two counselors, fantastic cooks (Ginny and Ellen) and volunteers that helped out where needed. As in past years, campers had a broad mix of pilot experience, with some flying gliders for the first time while others were close to soloing. Other activities included a field trip to BETA Technologies, Glider Jeopardy with Steve Platt, frisbee, Jenga, Monopoly, eating amazing amounts of food, manhunt and more.
Camp #1 participants
Counselor Maia Pasco came up with the leaky tent index during camp #1. Her co-counselor, Mike Vinton, who won the ‘leaky tent’ award, was an outlier. His sleep seemed to be unaffected by the pools of water in his tent.
During camp #1, 0B7 received over seven inches of rain, and nearby towns like Montpelier flooded. Despite this, the campers and counselors displayed amazing resiliency, made the most of every weather window for flying and somehow managed to get their 10 flights in. If anything, the rain seemed to make them bond more. Camp #2 had weather challenges as well, but thankfully nothing like camp #1.
Campers made the most of the wet weather and decided to go kayaking in Parker's Pond, an area of the airport that normally doesn't have water in July/August. A shorebird also took up residence in the pond.
Camp #2 participants
Spotlight - Camp Counselors Grace Kane and Maia Pasco
Grace Kane
Grace Kane, who was the recipient of FEFY’s first female camp scholarship in 2019 and now flies a Phenom 300 for the Masco Company in Detroit, took a week off from her job to come back to 0B7 and be a counselor. Grace had been the only female at the 2019 camp and was thrilled to be in the company of six females at camp #2. She is a great role model and mentor for young pilots.
When reflecting on her 2023 experience, Grace said: “I hope to be back next year because I just had such an incredible week. And it was rewarding to see how these youth changed over the course of the week, and to hear after each flight, all the things they learned, and their enthusiasm, because instructors there place a lot of trust in the campers, and they allow you to do things there that I don't believe other youth get the opportunity to do. I think it helps them grow and gain confidence very early on.”
Maia Pasco
Maia is an integral part of our team at 0B7. She is a senior Line Crew member and has been a camp counselor the last two years. As you can see in the photo above, the rain during camp #1 did not dampen her spirit. Click here to read more about Maia, who has dreamed of flying from a young age
Events
Annual dinner auction
This year we raised ~ $10,000, which is a new record. Many people helped make it a success, including Ginny and Rick Hanson and their team of volunteers, who once again served up a fantastic meal. Ellen Setser decorated the tent beautifully, and we had a sound system for the first time thanks to Ellen and her husband Dave. During the auction, an old wooden Cub propeller donated by Peter Fuss fetched the highest price of the evening. The FEFY tent continues to be a great venue for dinners, evening talks and camp activities. Many thanks to all the people who attended the dinner and donated and/or bid on items.
Flour drop
FEFY also raised ~$2,000 from ticket sales for the second annual flour drop. During five Saturdays in July and August, several Line Crew went to the Farmers Market to sell tickets, which not only raised money but also helped raise awareness of our programs in the local community. Team Sebastian Arce/Danny Burns earned the flour drop honors this year and managed to drop the bag right on the centerline of the runway! Too bad they were aiming for the windsock, which was about 200 ft away. Team Tim Wilson/Jen Stamp retain bragging rights, as they dropped the bag about 100 ft away in 2022. Thanks to FEFY BOD member Emilio Arce, you can now purchase flour drop tickets online!
Soaring Discovery Day
This was a new event, made possible by a grant from the Mad River Rotary, that included a free ground school and five free glider flights. The five youth had never flown in gliders before, and some have expressed interest in joining the Line Crew program.
Katya, who lives in Roxbury, was among the attendees. She really enjoyed her flight and has expressed interest in becoming a Line Crew member.
Alums
This is a famous picture from years ago. Bob Messner was teaching several Line Crew members how to assemble the SGS 1-26. We thought it’d be fun to update you on what each person in this picture is up to now…
Bob Messner lives in the Denver, CO area. He occasionally sees Rick and Ginny during the winter and still lives an active life. Bob was one of the founders and former Presidents of FEFY.
Jack (Jackson) Markow recently checked in with Tom and reported that he is “Doing great! I’m working up in San Francisco at a company called Zipline, where I’ve been for about a year and half. Really fun, but I’m still really busy as I’m working on slowly getting my masters degree in aerospace engineering from USC online.”
Ryan Dessereau graduated from the University of Vermont this past summer with a degree in engineering. He did some flying at 0B7 in September/October. It took a few flights for him to knock off the rust but then he quickly returned to form and was flying at a very high level. He passed his first flight review with flying colors! Ryan is living in the Waterbury/Stowe area this winter, exploring engineering jobs.
Nick Colwell graduated from UC Santa Barbara in May with a B.A. in Environmental Studies. He is currently living in California and pursuing a job as a firefighter. He was in Vermont for a short visit this past summer and took a flight with Jen in the ASK 21. As with Ryan, the rust came off quickly! Nick still flies at a very high level.
Danny Burns is a junior at Olin College of Engineering in Needham, MA, and as you’ve read, is still actively involved at 0B7!
Ryan was able to reunite with Braden at the airport during the fall. Ryan had introduced Braden to the airport years ago, bringing him to the 2018 Youth Airport Day. Ryan was one of Braden’s first trainers on the Line Crew.
Nick Colwell graduated from UC Santa Barbara in May.
Donors
FEFY is a 501(c)(3) organization and is completely dependent on contributions from generous donors to support its unique youth programs. We asked two of our long-time FEFY supporters, Tim Larsen and Carl Johnson, to share their thoughts on why they support FEFY.
“I've loved the idea of flight since the moment I knew what flight was; and I was fortunate to start taking lessons when I was 15. If I had started at 12, it would have been amazing. I am constantly impressed by "FEFY kids". To a person, they are exceptional. I know that FEFY has no small role in that. Above all, they get to fall in love with flight.”
Tim Larsen is a long-time supporter of youth programs at 0B7, as well as an accomplished pilot and instructor. In this photo, he demonstrates how to assemble his glider at one of our past Youth Airport Days.
Carl Johnson
“I learned to fly gliders as a teenager alongside a dozen other pilots my age. I look back on those years with great fondness and appreciation for the high standards of instruction I received and the impressive qualities of my peers. In the decades that followed, I was saddened to see a precipitous decline in young aviators. Then, I started soaring in Vermont and discovered FEFY—an organization funding the training and mentoring of a new generation of youth with exceptionally high standards and a camaraderie even stronger than what I had experienced as a teen.With safety as a bedrock foundation, a layered program of team building, aviation/STEM fundamentals ground school, flight training, and rigorous coaching for written and practical flight tests, FEFY helps to create some of the nation’s most competent and highly prepared aviators. Many FEFY graduates move on to top colleges and lucrative careers with major airlines or other STEM-related fields. Whatever path they take, the lessons learned on the soaring field, and the lifelong friendships made, make for a life-changing experience that yields returns well into adulthood.
I greatly enjoy my interactions with these exceptional young men and women, and I am proud to be a donor and active supporter of FEFY. Anyone who witnesses the energy, enthusiasm, competence, confidence, and promise of the youth participating in its programs will likely agree – FEFY and its mission to “help youth soar” are very much worthy of our support.”
Thank You
I want to thank you all for your thoughtful and generous support of FEFY, Sugarbush Soaring’s youth programs and our airport community. Through my role at the airport, I have the privilege of seeing the direct results of your support. Despite the weather challenges this season, we saw so many accomplishments and great moments. The entire group of staff and Line Crew worked hard to help these young people achieve their goals. As an example, during the two weeks leading up to the August checkrides, it was unflyable nearly every day, and when it was flyable, the flight schedule was booked solid. So whenever we had a weather window, we would run what we called the “nightshift.” After the normal busy day wound down around 5pm, we would reset, some additional Line Crew and instructors would show up, and the checkride candidates would fly as much as they could to practice maneuvers, spot landings and whatever else needed work. During rainy days, we would conduct group ground schools where everyone chipped in with their knowledge, support, and engagement. The whole team gave everything they could, and I was honored to be there to see them pull together. The camps this year were super special in many ways. Even though they are only one week long, I am always amazed to see the high levels of growth, engagement, empowerment and confidence. Thank you for helping make this possible for these young people. I am lucky to be part of it.
Director of Operations
at Sugarbush Soaring
Help FEFY help our youth!
FEFY is a 501(c)(3) organization and is completely dependent on contributions from generous donors. Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated.
Make your check out to Flight Experience For Youth (or just FEFY) and mail donations to
Flight Experience For Youth
PO Box 411
Warren, VT 05674
FEFY’s glider (fondly known as the Intergalactic Thunder Slug) looks sharper than ever with its new sticker! Next spring we’ll add the FEFY logo to its tail.
We are grateful for the support given by all, including Brothers Building, Floodwoods Maple, the de Ramel Foundation, the Larsen Fund, Mad River Rotary, the Robbins Beaumont Foundation, and Tradewind Aviation.
