Daher’s internship initiative, which provides first-hand aviation industry experience to two U.S. college or university students each year who have participated in the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles (YE) program, has selected Benjamin Van Handel and Jordan Paulson as the internship’s 2019 recipients.
Both Van Handel and Paulson are from Wisconsin, home to EAA – which partners with Daher for the internship program. EAA hosts the annual EAA AirVenture Oshkosh fly-in at Wittman Regional Airport.
The two students will work at Daher Aerospace’s Tarbes facility in southwestern France during five weeks in June and July. Also included is a tour of the Airbus production facility at Toulouse, France, as well as attendance at the Paris Air Show, followed by their participation with the Daher team in the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh event.
The internship covers the students’ costs, and puts the focus on work experience as well as a deeper understanding of the aviation industry’s career opportunities.
“This opportunity is a one-of-a-kind experience for the internship recipients,” said Nicolas Chabbert, Senior Vice President of Daher Airplane Business Unit and CEO of Daher Aircraft Inc. “Spending time with our team in France will enable them to gain expertise in their aviation industry fields of interest. We hope the experience will make a difference in their future careers, while also benefitting our company by working with the next-generation of aviation industry decision-makers.”
Paulson is a student at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, studying business management and economics. Thanks to the introductory flight provided by the EAA Young Eagles program, he was inspired to earn his FAA multi-engine private pilot license, while also a volunteer for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
Van Handel studied at Saint Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, and already is familiar with the international environment having spent a semester abroad at Bond University in Australia for studies leading to a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He holds a single-engine private pilot’s license, having earned the rating through a Phillips 66 Aviation Scholarship.
Dave Chaimson, EAA’s Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, recognized Daher’s commitment to the annual internship opportunity for former Young Eagles , noting that “Nothing is more important than first-hand aviation industry experience to help students explore future career opportunities. With industry exposure and cultural exchange, the impact on these former Young Eagles’ lives is tremendous.”
The EAA Young Eagles program inspires young people age 8-17 to explore through flight through an introductory flight experience provided by volunteer EAA-member pilots. More than 2.1 million youth have flown as part of Young Eagles since 1992.
Daher selects two EAA Young Eagles: Benjamin Van Handel (left) and Jordan Paulson.
