Join us in welcoming and assisting these fine young student musicians in their journey towards flying an aircraft.
Amaya Burns– Horn/Mellophone/Saxophone – Senior at Lincoln HS – Indiana
Hi! My name is Amaya Burns. I am currently a senior in high school and I have a passion for aviation.
My dad took me to the Connersville Municipal Airport on Father’s Day in 2004. I was about three years old and had never seen an airplane before. My Papaw came too, and we had a blast. I have been fascinated by aircraft ever since. When I was about five, after my Papaw had passed away, my dad asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday. I immediately said “I wanna see the airplanes.” My birthday is in October, whereas Father’s Day is in June, so we couldn’t see any airplanes at Connersville, but my dad did a little research and found the National Museum of the United States Air Force (NMUSAF). We keep going back year after year to see what’s new and what we may have missed.
Also, when I was six, my dad started taking flying lessons. He couldn’t take passengers, which made me sad, but he said that I would be his first official passenger once he had his certificate. I took my first flight with a friend of my dad’s. Hank Morrissey took a group of us up in a little Cessna 172 to see the Christmas lights. About six months later, I got to fly with my dad in that same airplane, just the two of us. That’s when I decided that I wanted to do that too. I was forever hooked by “The Romance of Flight.”
In about 6th Grade, I decided that I wanted to be an aeronautical engineer who designed airplanes for a living. I loved aircraft and the ability to “defy gravity,” though I knew it was really just the forces of thrust lift that made gravity less effective. As time went on, I discovered that I am a hands-on learner and sitting behind a computer all day looking at technical drawings might not be a good fit for me. While on a trip to EAA Air Venture, I discovered from a Purdue student that they have a program called Aeronautical Engineering Technology, or AET, that is much more hands on and mechanical than straight Aeronautical Engineering, and that graduates from both degrees usually wind up with similar job opportunities after college. In January, I was accepted into the program.
In November of 2018, I took my first flight lesson with an instructor and was able to log my first half hour of flight time. I am excited to continue my journey in flight and hope to share it with the world.
Scott Lutte– Trumpet – Senior at Montgomery HS – Texas
I am a senior at Montgomery High School in Montgomery, Texas. I have been in our school’s band program since the sixth grade playing the trumpet. I was a section leader for our marching band last year and was the Head Drum Major this past marching season. I have also participated in my school’s jazz program for the past three years and enjoy composing my own music. In the past year, I have also learned to play the guitar and drums. I have been involved in aviation since as long as I can remember and am still excited to go to the airport to this day. I have been accepted at the University of Nebraska at Omaha Aviation Institute where I will enroll in the professional pilot program.
Navya Pottumutu– Alto Sax & Vocals – Junior at Belmont Secondary School – Victoria
This is Navya Pottumutu, she moved to Victoria, British Columbia located in Canada, from India in 2012 and now is in grade 11 at Belmont Secondary School. She is involved in a countless amount activities at her school and in her community. Navya has been playing the Alto Saxophone and singing in a choir since grade 6, currently, at school, she is a part of almost every music ensemble which includes, Concert Band, Concert Choir, Jazz Band, Rhythm and Blues Band and finally a few student led combos. As the president of Belmont’s Music Department, she plays a major role in organizing events and planning activities for her music department. In her community, Navya helps the local Royal Canadian Legion with poppy campaigns, food drives and other fundraisers. Lastly, she is involved with the Royal Canadian Air Cadet Program, which is what spiked her interest in aviation. In the forthcoming future, she strives to be a fighter pilot serving the Royal Canadian Air Force and eventually an Astronaut for the Canadian Space Agency. As of now she is a licensed glider pilot and is working towards her private pilot license. Navya is very grateful for all the opportunities she has received since moving to Canada.
Our sponsors are doing their part. Thank them. Join them.
Bose Aviation, Sporty’s Pilot Shop, MYGOFLIGHT, Gleim Aviation, Hartzell Propeller, Daher TBM, Honda, ForeFlight, Sensenich Propellers, and many others. FMA also acknowledges Aviators Hot Line, Trade-A-Plane, AviNation, GA News, Aaron Tippin, and 121five.com for their extensive help in raising awareness of the FMA programs.
Many thanks to the membership and friends of FMA for your exhausting efforts in raising awareness and funds throughout the year by using your gifts of music and aviation. Another huge thanks to the Auen O’Shea Family Fund and the Denny Scalise Memorial FMA Solo Scholarship Fund.
