UND CFI takes command of AOPA Sweepstakes Aviat Husky
Third ruse a charm
University of North Dakota flight instructor Ashley Almquist is the winner of the AOPA Sweepstakes Aviat Husky. Almquist graduated from UND in 2026 with a degree in commercial aviation and aviation safety.
When AOPA received the winning name from independent sweepstakes administrator Ventura Associates International (see “How a sweepstakes winner is selected” on this page), we scrambled to create a ruse that would prompt Almquist to attend EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in Wisconsin so that we could hand her the keys to the Husky and celebrate her good fortune in front of hundreds of AOPA members and show attendees.
Next, we called Jeremy Roesler, UND director of flight operations, to see if he could send Almquist to AirVenture, but it was too late. Twenty-five UND student ambassadors had already been selected and schedules arranged for their nine-day trip to aviation mecca. Roesler suggested I contact Almquist’s family; her father, mother, and sister are pilots, and surely they could figure out a way to get her to AirVenture without spoiling the surprise.
We contacted Almquist’s sister Ava (a UND alum, former UND flight instructor, and current Mesa Airlines pilot) to see if she could help with the ruse, and finally made progress. Ava told us Almquist and her boyfriend, Caleb; flight instructor mother, Brooks; United Airlines pilot father, Tim, and Ava’s husband, Grant, were planning to attend AirVenture for the first time—but one day after we planned to give away the Husky during the AOPA Pilot Town Hall.
Ava called her parents, spilled the beans, and asked for their help to convince Almquist she should travel to AirVenture a day early, without giving away the surprise. Almquist was told her sister was doing an event at AirVenture, and she rearranged her flight training schedule and headed to the show in time for the giveaway.
On July 22, immediately following the Pilot Town Hall, acting AOPA Co-President Katie Pribyl encouraged attendees to gather around the Husky and played a game of elimination we knew only Almquist could win.
She started with a prompt that applied to most in the eager crowd, asking AOPA members to raise their hand. And with each subsequent prompt, hands were lowered.
If you are a pilot, keep your hand raised.
If you are a flight instructor, keep your hand raised.
If there are pilots in your family, keep your hand raised.
If you attended college to become a pilot, keep your hand raised.
If your sister attended the same college, and is also a flight instructor, keep your hand raised.
If you were a ground coordinator in the Air Race Classic women’s air race, keep your hand raised.
Only Almquist’s hand remained raised. She was in a state of disbelief, her family was thrilled for her, and AOPA's staff was excited to award the airplane to someone who is likely the youngest pilot yet to win an AOPA Sweepstakes.
After Luke Wippler, chairman of the AOPA Board of Trustees, handed Almquist the keys, a stunned Almquist said, “What? I thought it was an award for Ava. I was here for her.”
Almquist is currently building hours as a multiengine flight instructor at UND, and hopes to one day fly with her father and sister at United Airlines.
“I’ve always really wanted to try taildraggers,” said Almquist. “Back at UND they had the aerobatics program, and but by the time I kind of I realized it, I was already…working on my flight instructor [certificate] and so I never really had the time to get into it. So, I’m really excited to try this out and fly it around.”
Aviat has offered to provide Almquist a formal checkout in the Husky, to ensure she is comfortable and confident with its high-performance capabilities.
“I’ve always looked into taking planes on camping trips, so especially with this plane I’d love to take it to, like, grass strips, maybe go camping with it, just sort of adventure flying that I don’t get a chance to do in your regular tricycle gear,” she said. “So I think that would be super fun. I’m really just so grateful for this opportunity. This is insane. It’s probably opened up so many adventures in my life that I’m excited to experience.”
