Press & Updates
CloudDancer in the News
Stay up to date with the latest CloudDancer Scholarship news and media features. Learn more about our scholarship programs and how we support veterans in aviation.
Press Coverage
CloudDancer Scholarship News Coverage
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The Community News (Parker County) · September 2024
CloudDancer Gala Set for Oct. 12
Parker County’s local paper covered the third annual Black Tie & Boots Gala announcement, profiling the organization and Ashton Johnson’s story ahead of the sold-out October event at River Ranch Stockyards.
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State Aviation Journal · May 2022
CloudDancer Announces First Annual Black-Tie Fundraising Gala
State Aviation Journal broke the news of CloudDancer’s inaugural gala, introducing the organization’s mission to bridge the GI Bill gap in private pilot training to the broader Texas aviation community.
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Aero Crew News · 2022–2025
Ongoing Coverage — Aero Crew News
Aero Crew News — the industry’s leading pilot hiring publication — has covered CloudDancer since the organization’s founding, running gala announcements, Ashton’s story, and scholarship updates regularly through 2025.
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Visible Magazine
Helping Veterans With the Ashton Johnson Memorial CloudDancer Scholarship
Visible Magazine profiled the CloudDancer Scholarship’s mission, the story behind Ashton Johnson, and how the organization is working to put more veterans in cockpits across Texas and beyond.
Why This Matters Now
The Industry Headlines Behind Our Mission
The timing of what CloudDancer does has never been more urgent. The aviation industry is facing its largest pilot shortage in history — and veterans are among the most qualified candidates to fill it, if the financial barriers are removed.
Flying Magazine · January 2026
ATP Flight School Predicts Big Year for Pilot Hiring
Major airlines including United (2,500), American (1,500), and Delta (600 in Q1 alone) have set aggressive pilot hiring targets for 2026. Industry analysts estimate the largest supply-demand gap in history — 24,000 pilots — is peaking right now.
DAV (Disabled American Veterans) · 2024
Sky’s the Limit With Veteran Flight Training Bill
Congress introduced the Veterans Flight Training Responsibility Act to raise VA education funding for pilot training from $26,000 to $100,000 per year — an acknowledgment that the current GI Bill cap falls far short of what a commercial pilot license actually costs.
U.S. Senate · 2023
The American Aviator Act: Expanding Flight Training for Veterans
Bipartisan Senate legislation introduced to fund FAA grants for flight schools specifically to recruit and train veterans — recognizing that veterans are the ideal candidates for aviation careers but face structural financial barriers getting there.
Boeing · 2025–2044 Outlook
Boeing: 660,000 New Pilots Needed Over the Next 20 Years
Boeing’s Pilot and Technician Outlook projects a global need for 660,000 new commercial pilots over the next two decades — 119,000 in North America alone. Competition for qualified pilots will remain strong throughout the period.
Have a Story to Share?
Media inquiries, press requests, and coverage opportunities are welcome. If you’re working on a story about veteran aviation, the pilot shortage, or military-to-civilian career transitions — we’d love to talk.