There are two main ways of celebrating a pilot’s first solo flight in the industry. One tradition includes cutting the back of the pilot’s shirt off to symbolize cutting the end of the student "riding the instructor's coattails." While this is a very visually symbolic way to celebrate, and it leaves the pilot with a keepsake to look at in the future, fewer flight schools are staying with this tradition and more are switching over to the Solo Dunk.

For many, being an airline pilot has been a lifelong dream. For others, it could be a new career path. Regardless of how long you’ve had the dream of flight, you can now experience the incredible benefits of becoming an airline pilot. There is a sense of pride and adventure that comes along with flying. As a pilot, you have the freedom to travel the world and fly for airlines all over. You’ll also belong to an elite club of people who have the skills to fly. In the United States, only about 0.2% of the population has any type of Pilot’s License. Pair this fact with the increasing demand for world travel, and it’s easy to see that there are endless opportunities for career growth and financia

In a recent blog post, we announced that Adam Varnsand and Nick Cline won the Coast Flight Grand Aviation Scholarships. Adam was the grand prize winner, receiving a scholarship for $75,000 to cover his flight training from Private Pilot (PPL) to Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), and Nick was awarded a scholarship for 50% off his flight training costs at Coast. Since receiving the exciting news of winning these scholarships, these two young men have begun the process of joining Coast’s Airline Direct Program by interviewing with Envoy Air to receive their Conditional Offers of Employment. The two interviewed with Natalie Nielsen, Envoy’s Director of Pilot Recruitment, and David Streit, Envoy

Adam and Nick, along with 23 other students, won Coast’s Ground School Scholarship, which covered the cost of their Private Pilot Ground School. At the end of the course, all 25 students took their written exam, and then those with the highest scores combined with regular participation and professionalism, were invited to interview with Coast Flight Executives as finalists. Four students made it into the interview round, and Adam and Nick were chosen as the winners.

This year, Earth Day is on Saturday, April 22nd, and the airline industry has some creative ways to celebrate and contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions produced. Currently the airline industry is responsible for about 2% of global carbon emissions and that number is expected to exponentially grow, hitting 22% by 2050. As a result, the industry has recognized that is has a responsibility to keep our air clean and reduce as much negative environmental impact as possible. Here are some of the most creative ways we can see the airline industry helping keep our Earth clean: