Michigan-Based King Air 350 Pilot Recipient of Annual AVTRIP Scholarship

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Avfuel Corporation announced the latest recipients of its annual AVTRIP Scholarship for continuing studies in aviation. The scholarship is awarded once every year, and winners are selected by the quality and message of their essays, the extent of participation in or knowledge about the general and business aviation industries and level of need.
Jay OrwinTop winner James Orwin of Canton, Mich., has been awarded $2,000 in scholarship money and $500 in U.S. Savings Bonds. To apply for the next AVTRIP Scholarship, applicants should visit www.avfuel.com/avtrip.
“James Orwin’s passion for aviation and his commitment to improving the general and business aviation industry at large impressed everyone at Avfuel,” said Avfuel Director of Marketing Marci Ammerman.
She said that it was clear from his essays that he was knowledgeable about this industry and he intended to continue his career in aviation while working to make the industry stronger.
"He is and will be a very valuable contribution, and we feel the aviation community will be seeing a lot more of him in coming years,” Ammerman said.
“From the beginning I enjoyed the precision, attention to detail, structure, sounds and sights that flying had to offer,” Orwin said of his early flights.
Orwin received private pilot ground school lessons and an introductory flight at the tender age of 15. Since then, he has pursued aviation in both his career and his personal life. In 2000, he took home a degree from Western Michigan University’s Aviation Flight Science program. He went on to work as an intern with a local large corporation’s flight department, where he served as interning first officer to the company’s fleet of King Air 350s. Having proved his worth, Orwin was soon hired for a full-time position as captain/first officer.
Orwin’s immediate aviation-education goal is to finish his graduate degree in order to qualify for a management position. Orwin resides in Michigan with his family, who support his love for aviation in both business and leisure.
Sarah BrownOrwin is also an informed advocate of business aviation in the public eye. “Rarely are the useful and beneficial aspects of a flight department publicized as forcefully as the negative, wasteful ones," he said. "It is important, in my opinion, to tackle the media and government officials head-on with our strong message of job creation, efficiency, safety, and the overall productivity of our industry. I am a firm believer that communication can solve or prevent many issues, and that companies that communicate the effectiveness of their aircraft are better able to serve their stockholders and employees.”
Although Avfuel usually awards one annual scholarship, this year was an exception. The quality of the
submissions were so impressive that the company created two additional scholarship awards of $500 each in U.S. Savings Bonds.
Michael BordersThese were given to Sarah Saslow Brown of Boise, Idaho, and Mike Borders of Ypsilanti, Mich. Brown is a Learjet Captain, and Borders is a flight instructor and former FBO supervisor. Both applicants demonstrated considerable talent, intelligence and dedication to aviation.
ABOUT AVFUEL CORPORATION
Based in Ann Arbor, Mich., Avfuel Corporation serves the global aviation industry via a network of more than 600 Avfuel-branded domestic FBO dealers and via more than 850 international Contract Fuel locations. Avfuel is a leading supplier of aviation fuels and services to FBOs and a diverse market of specialty carriers including airlines, freight companies, military special operations, helicopter users and corporate flight departments. An Avfuel-branded FBO is an independent FBO for whom Avfuel supplies fuel, services and business solutions, including the fueling incentive program AVTRIP and the jet fuel savings program, Avfuel Contract Fuel.
Contacts:
Avfuel Corporation
Marci Ammerman, Director of Marketing
+1-800-521-4106,
mammerman@avfuel.com
Twitter Account: Avfueltweeter