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Mile High Youth Gliding Association, Inc.


Purpose

The purpose of the Association is to foster and promote all phases of youth gliding and soaring in Boulder, Colorado [Bylaws, Article 2]. MHYGA is a non-profit, 501(C)3 educational organization. Gifts are tax deductible and welcome at any time.

History

The Association was proposed and initially funded by Tom Bullington, a former US Naval Aviator with a record of youth education projects. Our primary flight scholarship program is named in memory of Tom, who passed away in April, 2003. After taking a glider rating course and quickly scoring high soaring achievements at Mile High Gliding, Inc., Tom decided that soaring was just the ticket to motivate young people towards productive lives in aviation and technical careers, while enjoying an exciting and social outdoor activity. His first major contribution was offering his own single-seat sailplane for commercial lease-back. David Campbell, owner of Mile High Gliding, was the partner and promoter in this succesful program for generating scholarship revenue. Gary Wente provided the legal expertise in formalizing the non-profit corporation, and John Campbell adapted practices from his youth work with the Soaring Society of America.

In March 2008, personable Boulder soaring pilot Gunnar Blanke passed away at work. A past SSA Governor for Colorado, Gunnar may have had more experience in Colorado Mountain Wave than anyone. Over 100 attended his memorial at Boulder Airport, with fly-bys by Mile High Gliding towplanes. In lieu of flowers, his family suggested donations to Boulder Community Sailing and MHYGA, of which Gunnar had been an active Director. This resulted in the construction of the "Gunnar Blanke deck" at Mile High Gliding, courtesy of Bobby Johnson, and an additional youth grant program for soaring adventure well beyond first solo.

Activity

MHYGA owns and operates a sailplane that earns revenues for flight scholarships under a lease-back contract. This single-seat Grob G102 IIIb is also available at reasonable rates to young pilots who reach more advanced stages, and it is a design that is practical and easy to fly for low-time Private pilots. Applications for scholarships, which involve all levels of soaring study at Boulder gliderport in Colorado, are welcome at any time. MHYGA also supports other youth outreach and mentoring activities, such as school field trips and gliderport line crew training.

Scholarship details

Applicants are welcome from any locality in the age range of 13-25. In keeping with the life changing, orientation to new worlds interest of the founders, preference is given to youth without extensive flying credentials, so that "adding a rating" for airplane pilots is a rare award case. Scholarships may be awarded for learning to fly gliders solo (A, so named for the SSA "ABC" badge system) as "Tom Bullington" grants [Application, 135k .PDF]. Also, in preparation for the FAA Private Pilot Certificate (C), gaining experience in soaring per se (Silver), and pursuing high soaring achievements (Diamond), as "Gunnar Blanke" grants [Application, 135k .PDF]. In keeping with the founders' prime interests, there will tend to be more awards at the beginner end of the scale. Review of the applications is performed by a Scholarship Committee of veteran Boulder glider pilots, as funds allow and applications accumulate, generally twice a year. get a free PDF reader

Tom Bullington Memorial Scholarship Awards

Year

Name

Age

Level

Amount

Results
2001
Greg Averill
16
C
$2,000
PVT, ABC
2002
Abel Savoye
15
A
$1,000
returned 87%
 
Katie Dougherty
16
A
$500
Solo
 
David Klingensmith
17
A
$500
Solo
2003
Ali Aschoff
15
A
$1,000
Solo
 
Seth Walsh
16
A
$500
Solo
 
Zeke Rast
15
A
$500
 
 
Sylvia Szafarczyk
18
Silver
$1,000
Silver Alt
 
Jordon Griffler
16
A
$1,000
Solo
 
Carlin Getliffe
17
C
$500
PVT, AB
2004
Matt Hecker
20
C
$500
 
 
Alex Repucci
13
A
$500
 
 
Loren Spears
16
C
$500
PVT
 
Seth Walsh
17
C
$500
PVT
 
Jordon Griffler
16
C
$1,000
PVT, AB
 
Sam Atwood
21
C
$1,000
PVT, AB
 
PJ Chisolm
16
A
$1,000
Solo
 
Mike Kelly
16
C
$1,000
PVT
 
Erik Henry
14
A
$1,000
 
2005
Kevin Christner
19
Silver
$500
returned 100%
 
Mike Dunn
21
A
$1,000
Solo
 
Ben Mead
15
A
$1,000
returned 88%
 
Kat Haessler
25
Diamond
$500
returned 100%
2006
Ryan Kramer
15
A
$1,000
 
 
Ross De Franco
20
C
$500
PVT, ABC
 
Amanda Schaffer
16
Silver
$500
returned 76%
 
Bill Bixler
21
A
$1,000
Solo, PVT, ABC
 
Joe Scherer
14
A
$525
Solo
 
Peter Scherer
14
A
$525
Solo
2007
Jacob Leblanc
17
A
$500
Solo
 
Ryan Kramer
16
A
$500
returned 46%
 
Erik Henry
17
A
$1,000
Solo
 
Mark Beaty
14
A
$1,000
Solo
 
Karl Parsons
18
A
$500
Solo, PVT, ABC
 
Sarita Nadkarni
15
A
$500
returned 66%
2008
Dominic Hernandez
14
A
$1,000
Solo
 
Eric Smith
16
A
$1,000
returned 100%
 
Amanda Clark
15
A
$1,000
 
 
Iosif Tsimkouski
21
A
$1,000
Solo

Gunnar Blanke Memorial Scholarship Awards

2008
Nick Clode
17
C
$500
PVT, AB
 
Joe Scherer
16
C
$500
PVT
 
Peter Scherer
16
C
$500
PVT
 
Karl Parsons
19
Silver
$500
CML, Bronze
 
Mark Beaty
15
C
$500
returned 100%
 
Ross DeFranco
22
Silver
$500
 


Major donated assets

Item

Value

Donated by

Disposition
1985 Grob G102 IIIb
$16,000
Tom Bullington
active
1/10 share of 1996 Duo Discus
$12,500
Tom Bullington
sold to Dan Oot
1972 Glasflugel Std. Libelle
$12,000
David MacNeil
sold to David Russell
1972 Pfeiffer trailer
$ 3,600
AD Nimbus LLC
sold to Bill Thar

Benefactors and Sponsors

Gunnar Blanke, Richard Hall, Mike Higgins, Terry Frazier, John Campbell, Gary Wente, John Blum, Tom Cavanaugh, Lawrence Price, David Reed, Phil Ecklund, Rick Spears, Robert Caldwell, Scott Westfall, David MacNeil, Dan Oot, David Russell, Butch Weaver, Nick Stong, Al Ossorio, David Mencin, Bill Kaewert, Mark Priester, WinPilot, Bobby Johnson, Carlin Gettliffe, Paul's Custom Canvas, Rose Blanke.

Directors and Officers

Christine Bullington, Richard Hall, Pat Doyle, Gary Baughman, David Russell.