Aviation Scholarship

Conklin & de Decker, in coordination with the NBAA, established the Alan H. Conklin Business Aviation Management Scholarship in 2007 to benefit undergraduates pursuing careers in business aviation management. At the 2014 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), the award was renamed to recognize Bill de Decker and his dedication to business aviation.

The scholarship was initially created to honor the memory of Al Conklin, a U.S. Air Force veteran and business aviation leader for more than 60 years. Conklin’s experience as a business aircraft salesman in the early decades of his career informed his later work in proving the economic value of aircraft to business. Today, the scholarship also honors Bill de Decker’s contributions to business aviation, for which he was honored in 2014 with NBAA’s John P. “Jack” Doswell Award. Together, Al Conklin and Bill de Decker first published the Aircraft Cost Evaluator in the 1970’s and later founded Conklin & de Decker, an aviation information company that provides aircraft operating cost and performance data.

NBAA Charities and Jet Support annually award up to $5,000 to an undergraduate student who is officially enrolled in an aviation management program at a two or four year school. Scholarships will be awarded for the academic year, and checks will be made payable to the school. Awards will be made to U.S. citizens or permanent residents without regard to sex, race, religion or national origin.

NBAA scholarship applicants are limited to receiving one award per person, every other year.