Perhaps the greatest love in his life鈥攐ther than his wife, Frances, and their children鈥攚as aviation. Hartman, an instrument-rated pilot since 1959, managed a small airfield east of Charlottesville in the 1960s. He enjoyed flying through the skies above his home 鈥渓ow and slow鈥� in his 1966 Cessna 172, recalled his friend and legal adviser Marshall Yoder. Hartman delighted in taking his family on his flights and seeing the scenery from a fresh perspective.

鈥淟en was a skilled pilot,鈥� Yoder said. 鈥淗e would float down and there would barely be a 鈥榯hump鈥� when he鈥檇 land.鈥�

As he entered his 90s, Hartman stopped flying his plane as often and began talking to Yoder about parting with it. He wanted to leave it in the right hands, where it could do the most good. But, he hadn鈥檛 yet found the right cause.

When Yoder told him about the burgeoning aviation program at 91短视频 Lancaster and how his plane could greatly impact the next generation of pilots, Hartman found his answer. Before his death in February 2022, Hartman ensured that his beloved Cessna, as well as 25 percent of his estate, would be gifted to 91短视频. Because the gift was unrestricted, the university and its advancement division could decide how best to use it.

鈥淟en knew there was a worldwide shortage of pilots, and he knew there would always be people interested in flight,鈥� said Braydon Hoover, who worked with Hartman and Yoder on establishing the endowment. 鈥淎nd so, to honor his memory, we decided to put it all into a scholarship named after him.鈥�

The J. Leonard 鈥淟en鈥� Hartman Scholarship for Aviation will provide more than $17,000 in funds each year, starting in fall 2025, for aviation students at 91短视频 Lancaster who demonstrate financial need.

The Hartman endowment totals about $345,000, which includes $20,000 from the sale of the Cessna. Hartman鈥檚 gift will help 91短视频 live into its vision of opening new pathways of access and achievement, a vision outlined in the university鈥檚 2023-28 strategic plan, Pathways of Promise: Preparing Tomorrow鈥檚 Unifying Leaders.

鈥淚t has quickly become one of our larger named endowed scholarships,鈥� Hoover said, 鈥渇or one of the fastest growing programs at 91短视频.鈥�

You can contribute to scholarships for future aviators at 91短视频 by donating online at and typing 鈥淛. Leonard Hartman Aviation Scholarship鈥� or 鈥淪cholarship for Aviation鈥� into the text field. Contact kirk.shisler@emu.edu for more details on how to support this worthy cause.

John Sibole, director of aviation at 91短视频 Lancaster, said the scholarships will allow the program to further diversify its student body and recruit students from new areas.

鈥淲e at 91短视频 Lancaster would like to express our sincere gratitude for the implementation of the Len Hartman scholarship fund for our aviation students,鈥� Sibole said.

鈥淭he flight training component of their education is expensive, and these scholarships, which will be awarded in part on a needs basis, will provide new pathways of access into the aviation profession for underserved young people,鈥� he added.

91短视频鈥檚 aviation program soars

Word is spreading throughout the aviation industry about the strength of 91短视频鈥檚 program and the quality of its graduates. As a result, the 91短视频 aviation program continues to grow in popularity. The program, which began in 2018 with five students, will welcome 24 students this upcoming semester鈥攊ts largest cohort yet. Current enrollment in the program is at 49 students. A total of 21 students, in three cohorts so far, have graduated from the program to date.

Students enrolled in the four-year Leadership and Organizational Management (LOM) major with an aviation concentration earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree and the FAA credentials they need to become professional pilots. Students are paired with flight instructors though 91短视频鈥檚 flight training partner at the Lancaster Airport in Lititz, Pennsylvania. While the program provides at least 270 hours of flight time, many students earn up to 1,000 hours by the time they graduate, said Sibole, noting that nearly 100 percent of their students find jobs within their first year of graduating.

One of the benefits of an aviation program the size of 91短视频鈥檚 is that students are given guaranteed weekly flight training slots with access to aircraft and an instructor. That鈥檚 something, Sibole said, that isn鈥檛 available at a lot of larger schools.

It鈥檚 a major reason Will Stover, a third-year aviation student, chose to attend 91短视频.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to be flying pretty much from day one,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd you have guaranteed flight slots, so there鈥檚 no question you鈥檒l be flying and you鈥檒l be flying regularly.鈥�

When students enter their senior year, they are required to complete a supervised internship with an established aviation organization for a full semester. For many aviation graduates, those internships translate into full-time careers.

During her senior year, Ivy Kreiser, a member of the program鈥檚 first cohort, interned at , a private charter and aviation services company in Lancaster. She landed a job there after graduating in 2022 and now works there as a second-in-command.

Becoming a pilot can be expensive. The affordability of 91短视频鈥檚 aviation program, compared to other schools, was a big draw for her.

鈥淭he 91短视频 program is great because you鈥檙e going to get the education you need, the experience you need, and the flight schools you need,鈥� Kreiser said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to meet with professors who will give you the connections you鈥檙e hoping for and that you want. And you鈥檙e not going to spend as much money as some of the other big programs out there.鈥�

Hartman leaves a legacy

In addition to donating to 91短视频, Hartman gifted parts of his estate to a library, school, retirement home and church, Yoder said.

The attorney fondly recalls spending afternoons on Hartman鈥檚 front porch, talking about everything from politics and religion to Virginia Tech basketball.

鈥淗e was such a decent, nice person,鈥� Yoder said. 鈥淚 miss being able to talk to him. But I think he would be really happy knowing where his bequest is going.鈥�

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