The Hayward Air Rally Ray Hazel Memorial Scholarship
Now open for 2025 applications!
With generous pledges of support from the Hayward Airport and rally participants, the Hayward Air Rally is sponsoring a scholarship to support candidates pursuing aviation related careers. We plan to make one or more awards of up to $2500 to qualifying applicants for use towards flight training or academic expenses associated with an aviation or aeronautical major.
The scholarship is open to Bay Area residents within 20 miles of Hayward, 18 years or older, who are actively pursuing an aviation related career.
We are taking applications via the Going Merry scholarship portal. The scholarship posting is available via this link to their site or the widget below. The application deadline is April 30, 2025. Selection of the winning candidates will be based on the evaluation of application materials and appropriate follow-up by Hayward Air Rally volunteers. The selection of the scholarship winner(s) is at the sole discretion of the Hayward Air Rally committee and will be made by May 12, 2025. Inquiries may be addressed to the .
Previous scholarship recipients:
2024: Daniel Bolanos of Union City, and Landon Abrar of San Jose2023: Ashley Lin of Union City, and Tram Do of San Jose
The scholarship is named in memory of Ray Hazel, a participant and volunteer with the Hayward Air Rally for more than 30 years. He first flew as a passenger in 1988, then as navigator from 1998 to 2005, winning the event in 2001. Since then, he was our veteran timing line official until his passing in early 2023. If you've flown the rally in recent years, it was likely his voice that greeted you at the final timing line. We hope our scholarship can help others realize his same spirit and passion for aviation.
EAA Air Academy Summer Camp Scholarship
From 2010 to 2022, the Hayward Air Rally provided full airfare and tuition scholarships to the EAA Air Academy for deserving students in the Bay Area. Due to increasing costs and logistical challenges administering that scholarship, we suspended the program in 2023 in favor of the current monetary scholarship.
The Hayward Air Rally, Inc. is a not-for-profit California public benefit corporation, with IRS 501(c)(3) status. The Hayward Air Rally's primary charter is to enhance general aviation safety by encouraging aircraft pilots to stay proficient in basic flight and fuel management techniques. Each year, the organization stages the Hayward Air Rally, and for the past 15 years, has also funded a scholarship to cultivate the next generation of aviators.