Local KCBAA News

KCBAA 2026 Scholarship Winners Announced

The KCBAA 2026 Scholarship winners have been announced and scholarships were awarded at the KCBAA 2026 Q3 Meeting which was held at the Kansas City Downtown Airport (MKC).

This fund was established for flight and maintenance students who are enrolled in aviation training in the 2026 calendar year.

Pilot Scholarship Award Winners

Zach Wood - $2,000

Kira Moffet - $1,750

Sheldon White - $1,750

Rylan Kleidel - $1,500

Ashner Rhynerson - $1,500

Maintenance Scholarship Award Winners

Tomas Gonzales - $2,000

Joseph Spitler - $2,000
Marlon Mwania - $2,000
Kristine Parker - $2,000

In addition, two scholarship award winners were selected to be recipients of the Jerry Mott Memorial Scholarship. In the wake of Jerry’s recent passing, the KCBAA has allocated a portion of its scholarships to be given in his memory. This year's Jerry Mott Memorial Scholarship winners were:

Dan Sanders - $1500

Liliana Mateo - $2,000

KCBAA - Building a Foundation for a Professional Aviation Career 

The Kansas City Business Aviation Association (KCBAA) is proud to share success stories from past Pilot Scholarship Award recipients. Rudy Daise, a 2025 Scholarship Award Winner, is one such example of how the scholarship has supported meaningful progress in an aviation career.

Rudy began flight training in the spring of 2024 at Kilo Charlie Aviation while attending college. There he earned his Private Pilot Certificate and Instrument Rating, balancing academic coursework with the demands of flight training and establishing a solid foundation for a professional path in aviation.

He continued his training at Aspire Aviation at Kansas City Downtown Airport, where he completed his Commercial Pilot Certificate and Certified Flight Instructor certificate while remaining enrolled in college. He then began building experience as a flight instructor and working toward the next milestones in his career.

A significant opportunity arrived when Rudy was selected for a KCBAA Aviation Scholarship. He applied the funding toward his Commercial Multi-Engine Rating—an important and costly qualification. The scholarship made this next step more attainable and strengthened his credentials as he continued gaining professional experience.

Later, through a connection made while working at a local fixed-base operator (FBO), Rudy began flying right seat in a King Air 350. Time in the King Air has provided valuable exposure to turbine aircraft, professional crew operations, and real-world flying beyond the training environment.

Throughout this period, Rudy has continued pursuing his college degree while instructing and building flight experience. The KCBAA scholarship played an important role by helping him secure a rating that opened additional doors. As he prepares for the next chapter of his career, the combination of training, education, and hands-on experience has positioned him well for the transition into the professional turbine environment.

The 2026 Scholarship Award winners were announced at the September 16, 2026 Q3 Meeting.

MKC Runway Updates

Runway Open

Runway 1-19 is now open.

Taxiway B will remain closed for 30 days to allow the new concrete to cure. You will also see construction continue around the Taxiway B area to finish up the remaining items in this project but Runway 1/19 will remain open.

Beginning Monday, August 3rd, runway 1/19 was closed to complete Phase 2 of the Taxiway B project. This 40 day closure was necessary to complete the connection of new Taxiway B between the runways and rehabilitation of Taxiway B on the east side of Runway 1/19.

Taxiway G was also closed during this time, between Taxiway G1 and Taxiway H, and closed north of the KC Aviation Department’s Maintenance/Administration Building. Taxiway A and Taxiway K remained open for crossing Runway 1-19. 

For any questions related to the project, contact:

Rod DeWinkler, MKC Executive Manager:  rod.dewinkler@kcmo.org  (816) 859-7610

Dan Dietz, MKC Assistant Airport Manager:  dan.dietz@kcmo.org  (816) 859-7611

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