Aerospace engineering undergraduate student earns Soaring Society of America scholarship
3/1/2018
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Philip Chidekel, an aerospace engineering and meteorology undergraduate student, is the recipient of the 2017 Paul Kolstad College Scholarship grant from the Soaring Society of America (SSA).
The grant is intended to help finance college-level study and inspire young pilots to progress from basic glider flying to advanced sport soaring. Scholarship winners are selected from young soaring-pilot, SSA member and U.S.A. citizen applicants who are of great service at a U.S.A. gliderport.
Chidekel, who was a unanimous choice for the Kolstad Scholarship by the SSA judges, has been flying since he was 13 and holds a commercial pilot certificate. He is also president of the Penn State Soaring Club.
He also holds three SSA Pennsylvania state soaring records in the Youth category: Free Out and Return Distance (130 miles), Free 3-Turnpoint Distance (200 miles) and Distance up to 3 Turnpoints (197 miles). In 2017, Chidekel placed third in the SSA’s US Junior Camp and Contest.
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Phil Chidekel shown flying Brandywine Soaring Association’s Piper Pawnee towplane.
