SFEA

Phil Schacht is the seed from which the Soaring Flight Education Association (SFEA) blossomed. Phil was a retired Navy navigator, Northwest Airlines pilot, aerobatic competitor, and the Chief Flight Instructor of the Minnesota Soaring Club (MSC). He was a quiet and kind man who was passionate about teaching youth to fly. His passion was contagious.

In honor and memory of Phil the MSC created the Phil Schacht Youth Scholarship. A scholarship gave youth a membership plus $500 in flight costs. From 2011 to 2021 club members funded thousands of dollars of scholarships for teens to learn to fly. The $500 in flight costs went a long way because MSC flight instructors do not charge a penny for training youth—the student’s only expense was flight costs.

But the Phil Schacht Youth Scholarship fund had a limitation: the young student pilots were frequently unable to pay for membership and flight costs past their scholarship and didn't accrue the solo hours needed to qualify for the practical exam. Sadly, many left aviation. The SFEA was created to remedy this.


MISSION

To help youth who have a passion for flight and the aptitude, discipline, and work ethic to achieve it, follow their dream.