Sporty’s Awards Pilot Training+ Scholarship

Private pilot with a goal of becoming a flight instructor earns $2,500 award

The grandchild of an Air Force veteran, Matt Everett grew up with aviation in his genes. His appreciation for aviation was fostered by visiting airports with his grandmother as a child and watching airplanes in the shadows of the runway 23 arrivals at the McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, TN.

Now Everett, a 100-hour Private pilot and marketing professional, is the latest recipient of Sporty’s $2,500 Pilot Training+ Scholarship. While aviation has always been Matt’s passion, he originally embarked on a career in geographic information systems. And while working in the geography field at the McGhee Tyson Airport, he formulated a plan to begin flight training at the local flight school over his lunch breaks and on weekends. 

Everett went on to earn his Private pilot certificate and also joined the local EAA Chapter 17 in Knoxville, where he is actively managing the chapter’s website and working to support its Young Eagles program. Matt is currently training toward his Instrument Rating at AVZ Flight Academy at the McGhee Tyson Airport. His long-term goal is to earn his Commercial pilot and Certified Flight Instructor certificates so that he can share his passion for aviation with others.

“The Sporty’s scholarship will allow me to train at a faster pace than my current budget allows,” remarked Everett. “While I’m committed to achieving my goal of becoming a flight instructor, this will help me get there in a more consolidated timeframe.”

Everett is utilizing Sporty’s online Instrument Rating Course as his ground school and flight preparation resource as he nears the completion of his Instrument Rating and prepares for his written exam. Matt currently resides in Maryville, TN with his wife and two children who are equally passionate about aviation.

Sporty’s Pilot Training+ is an all-inclusive membership that unlocks Sporty’s complete library of award-winning video-based courses for one annual fee. Membership also includes the opportunity to apply for three, $2,500 scholarships awarded annually.

It’s easy to enroll as a Sporty’s Pilot Training+ member by visiting sportys.com/pilottraining.

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