North East Oregon Aviation Foundation Awards $32,520 in Scholarships, Eyes 2026 Season

The North East Oregon Aviation Foundation distributed $32,520 in individual and educational scholarships during 2025, the Joseph-based nonprofit reported last week, and has already added another $17,500 in the first months of 2026 as it builds momentum toward this summer's Wallowa County Fly-In.

NEOAF highlighted the community and financial impact of its two cornerstone fundraising events: the Wallowa County Fly-In and the Chief Joseph Days Cowboy Breakfast. The Fly-In has grown into one of the single largest event weekends in the community, second only to Chief Joseph Days. The Cowboy Breakfast, hosted in partnership with the Wallowa County Pilots Association, serves as the primary engine for the Foundation's scholarship and education funds.

The Foundation is off to a record-breaking start in 2026, having already awarded an additional $17,500 to deserving individuals and educational initiatives.

The dollars are reaching students in tangible ways. Students from the Joseph Charter School Aviation Program recently returned from a four-day field trip to Southern California, where, supported by NEOAF, they toured the San Diego Air and Space Museum and spent an immersive day exploring the USS Midway.

NEOAF supports aviation learning through the Joseph Charter School aviation CTE program and student scholarships, and also backs the ACE Academy summer camp and introductory airplane flights.

A NEOAF board representative credited community volunteers as the backbone of the organization's results. "The Wallowa County Fly-In would not be remotely possible without the countless volunteer hours donated by this community," the representative said. "Whether you have flipped pancakes at the Cowboy Breakfast or marshaled aircraft at the Fly-In, you are the reason these students can see the world and reach for" their aviation goals.

The 2026 Wallowa County Fly-In is scheduled for July 10-11 at the Joseph State Airport. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded over $40,000 in scholarships to individual students, helping them attend flight schools, aviation maintenance programs, and college-level courses. With $17,500 already committed in the first quarter of 2026, that cumulative figure is climbing sharply ahead of the summer season. Those interested in volunteering, donating, or applying for scholarships can visit neoafoundation.org.