Ep 256 Funding the Dream: Mastering Aviation Scholarships with Cherry Kan
Ready 4 Pushback
Nik Fialka
4.8 • 716 Ratings
🗓️ 23 June 2025
⏱️ 23 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Nik is back! In this episode, he sits down with Cherry Kan—an international student and first-generation pilot whose aviation journey is anything but ordinary. With grit, community support, and relentless resourcefulness, Cherry has paved her own way into the flight deck. Like many aspiring pilots, Cherry faced the financial challenges of flight training and earning her ratings. She overcame those hurdles by diving deep into aviation scholarships and getting involved with pilot organizations. In this episode, she shares exactly how she did it—where to find opportunities, how to apply, and the mindset it takes to succeed, even if you don’t think you “check all the boxes.” Cherry also opens up about the value of mentorship, staying focused through industry ups and downs, and the power of persistence. Her story is a reminder that doors start to open when you keep showing up, keep reaching out, and keep believing in your path.
What You'll Learn:
How Cherry finds aviation scholarships—and how you can too
Why your story matters more than your stats in most applications How to build a repeatable system for applying to opportunities year after year
Tips for finding scholarship mentors How networking at events like PAPA, OBAP, RTAG etc can unlock real job opportunities
Why Cherry stays optimistic despite industry slowdowns—and how she reframes negativity as fuel
The power of long-term relationship building in aviation
CONNECT WITH US
Are you ready to take your preparation to the next level? Don’t wait until it’s too late. Use the promo code “R4P2025” and save 10% on all our services. Check us out at www.spitfireelite.com!
If you want to recommend someone to guest on the show, email Nik at [email protected], and if you need a professional pilot resume, go to www.spitfireelite.com/podcast/ for FREE templates!
SPONSOR
Are you a pilot just coming out of the military and looking for the perfect second home for your family? Look no further! Reach out to Marty and his team by visiting www.tridenthomeloans.com to get the best VA loans available anywhere in the US.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey, pilot. |
| 0:02.7 | Welcome to Ready for Pushback. |
| 0:04.3 | I'm Nick Fialke. |
| 0:05.2 | Today's guest is a lady named Cherry Khan who is in the hunt. |
| 0:10.4 | She is a flight student and she's been a flight student for a real long time. |
| 0:14.4 | She's had a lot of tenacity going through the ups and downs of the economy. |
| 0:19.2 | And our conversation really revolves about her story |
| 0:22.9 | and also scholarships and how to get scholarships and where to find scholarships. And the just |
| 0:29.8 | level of effort that it takes and the tenacity to get a scholarship and to find a way to get |
| 0:37.2 | that flight time when you can't afford it. |
| 0:39.2 | And that's what I want you to take away from this conversation is that tenacity matters. |
| 0:44.5 | And that's what aviation is all about. |
| 0:46.6 | So you can do it. |
| 0:47.7 | Keep focus. |
| 0:48.4 | Keep strong. |
| 0:49.1 | And sit back. |
| 0:50.8 | Relax. |
| 0:51.6 | Let's get ready for pushback. |
| 0:53.6 | It all started as a spark. Maybe it was the sound of jets |
| 0:58.9 | racing across the sky. Or the feeling of your heart racing as you watch Crop Duster flying low |
| 1:05.7 | and slow. Even then, you knew you were meant to fly. For pilots, it's more than just a job. |
| 1:13.6 | It's a calling. |
... |
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