Local Business Leader and Alumni Parent David Davison Donates Discovery Flights for Flight Academy Students

 

Thanks to the generosity of local business leader David Davison P’10, ’12, ’14, six St. Mary’s Ryken Flight Academy students recently took their first official step toward becoming pilots.

In partnership with Ready 9 Aviation Academy (R9AA) at the St. Mary’s County Airport, students participated in discovery flights on Feb. 21 as part of Ready 9’s new initiative, Every Student Flies. Each student completed a ground session followed by a 30-45 minute instructional flight with an FAA-certified flight instructor in Ready 9’s Cessna 140. Their logbooks were officially endorsed, marking their very first recorded instructional flight and the first step toward a private pilot certificate.

 

“This is an exciting opportunity for SMR students, and I believe exposure to flying offers a highly viable growth path for high school students,” Mr. Davison said.

This opportunity is deeply personal for Mr. Davison. As a teenager, he was mentored at his local airport by seasoned pilots — many of them military veterans — who invested in him and fueled his passion for aviation. That encouragement led him to earn his private pilot license, purchase a 1952 Piper Tri-Pacer, and explore the country through cross-country flights.

“I believe these experiences as a young man were critical in my growth, confidence, and maturity,” Mr. Davison said. “The discovery of flight ultimately led me to serve as a military officer, Navy pilot and instructor, businessman, and proud citizen.”

He and his wife Susie have three daughters who graduated from St. Mary’s Ryken, and he credits the school’s culture and leadership with helping shape their success.

“St. Mary’s Ryken has always offered a phenomenal environment recognized for providing a highly competitive education,” he said. “I see the opportunity to assist in getting students in the air and on their journey with aviation — whether that is becoming a pilot or designing and maintaining complex systems that take us into the future.”

Removing financial barriers was a central motivation behind his support. “Achieving a private pilot license is an expensive goal for a young person and family, and there are no existing programs to bridge that gap,” Mr. Davison explained. “That is where the rest of us can step up — giving back and paying it forward.”

“The aviation industry continues to face a growing demand for pilots, engineers, and certified mechanics,” added SMR Flight Academy instructor Gerald Swift. 

Mr. Davison believes early exposure is critical. “Flying promotes problem-solving skills, critical thinking, creativity, and personal growth. Unless we take these first steps, it is hard for our young people to break into challenging careers in aviation.”

St. Mary’s Ryken is the “pilot school” for Ready 9’s “Every Student Flies” initiative — a distinction Mr. Davison sees as both a blessing and an opportunity.

“The Southern Maryland community has a unique opportunity to benefit from an established nonprofit dedicated to promoting aviation,” said Jeremy DeBons, owner of Ready 9 Aviation Academy. “R9AA instructors are highly experienced aviators and powerful role models for young adults.”

 

Through community partnerships and continued local support, Mr. Davison hopes this program will expand opportunities for SMR students and open doors to undergraduate programs at leading aviation institutions.

“Exposure to flying — and to these incredible instructors — will benefit SMR students’ growth, confidence, and maturity,” he said. “As adults and community leaders, the future is ours to make.”

With this first flight logged, six students have officially begun their aviation journey — and thanks to the vision of community leaders like David Davison, and to the initiatives of aviation businesses like Mr. DeBons, many more may soon follow.

For more information about the St. Mary's Ryken Flight Academy, visit www.smrhs.org/academics/flight-academy-program