NBAA Names Recipient of Dale 'Potsy' McBurney Aviation Scholarship

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Charities today announced Samuel Wagener is this year’s recipient of the Dale “Potsy” McBurney Aviation Scholarship. The award will be presented at NBAA's Flight Attendants/Flight Technicians Conference in Saint Paul, MN, June 26-28, 2018.

Wagener is the owner of Direct Approach Aviation and a senior captain at The Rydell Company, based in Grand Forks, ND, with experience with Citation CJ3 (C525B), Citation CJ4 (C525C), Cessna Caravan (208) on amphibious floats, TBM850, and Cirrus SR22. He is a certified airline transport pilot, commercial pilot and flight instructor, and has completed several safety training courses during his career.

“Every mission is distinct, and every passenger is unique, each flight possesses new and exciting challenges that require creativity, skill, and a strong desire to provide the safest, most efficient, and most comfortable experience to everyone involved,” said Wagener. “It’s this challenge, and a commitment to providing the best possible service to my company, that has fueled and intensified my passion.”

Wagener plans to use the scholarship to complete the NBAA Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) program to continue learning skills to develop himself as a leader in aviation.

NBAA Charities, in coordination with the Trust Committee for Dale "Potsy" McBurney and the NBAA Flight Attendants Committee, established the Dale "Potsy" McBurney Aviation Scholarship to benefit business aviation professionals seeking opportunities to advance their careers.

The scholarship was created to honor the memory of former business aviation flight attendant Dale "Potsy" McBurney, who was dedicated to promoting the role of the cabin crewmember. He was a highly regarded and requested flight attendant, a recognized and respected trainer and industry specialist, an executive for a FAR 91 flight department and a valued member of the NBAA Flight Attendants Committee.

Applications for the 2019 Dale “Potsy” McBurney Aviation Scholarship will be available in fall 2018. NBAA Charities offers a number of other scholarships and programs to promote professional development and business aviation careers.

For more information, contact NBAA at (202) 783-9000 or visit www.nbaa.org/scholarships.