Sean Paul DeRosier was a born aviator.  He began flying with his parents, Ben and Doris, as soon as he was able to sit up in the seat, and soon after was taking such an active role in flying, that he could land a tailwheel airplane by the time he was 9 years old.  He soloed a glider when he was 14, a power plane at 16, and began flying self-taught aerobatics at 18, inspired by his lifelong idol, Art ‘The Professor’ Scholl.

Sean’s talents extended far beyond the cockpit, and his creativity and meticulous craftsmanship became apparent early. He designed his first instrument panel layout as a high school drafting project, while refurbishing a Cessna 140 after school and on weekends.  After graduating from high school, and while earning his A&P license through Solano Community College, Sean recovered a Pitts S2B with a classmate.  In this same Pitts, Sean began his romance with extreme aerobatics. After earning his A&P license, Sean went to work for Woodland Aviation, and again in his spare time, refurbished an Ercoupe 415-E, which he sold to buy a Cessna 150 with lifelong friend Brant Seghetti. 

Having established a trend of working full-time in aviation to earn a living, then working late into the evening on his own projects, Sean left Woodland Aviation to join Blue Ridge Aeronautics, and later Goodfriend (both at Nut Tree Airport in Vacaville, CA and closer to home), restoring and maintaining aerobatic airplanes.  It was during this period that Sean bought a $300 set of plans for Dan Rihn’s DR-107 One Design.  Over the next 3 years, Sean and his father Ben built the airplane that Sean later used in his professional airshow routines.  Sean debuted his One Design at the 1999 Oshkosh Air Venture, earning the prestigious Outstanding Workmanship Award for a Plans-Built Airplane.  Returning to California, Sean entered the intense world of airshow aerobatics with his first professional performance at Travis AFB’s annual Open House and Airshow.

Always dreaming, and willing to work hard to achieve his dreams, Sean started his own business High Voltage Enterprises, which specialized in building and maintaining classic and modern aerobatic airplanes, and flew his own extreme airshow routines.  While looking for ways to make his airshow performances unique, Sean and his father Ben pioneered the use of model jet engines as wingtip smoke generators in his One Design. He gave his audiences a fresh, new perspective into the ballet of aerobatics as he wove his twin skeins of smoke into an elaborate aerial tapestry to the energetic music of his favorite musician and sponsor, Sammy Hagar and Cabo Wabo.  Sean performed his extreme routine on the West Coast from Seattle, WA’s SeaFair to Miramar, CA’s MCAS airshow.  Though he numbered among his friends and clients airshow performers and icons including Kent Pietsch, Eddie Andreini, Jim ‘Bulldog’ LeRoy, Sean ‘Oracle’ Tucker, and his mentor Wayne ‘Raven’ Handley, Sean possessed an unassuming humility, and was genuinely surprised to be asked for his autograph after flying his airshow routine. 

Throughout this time, Sean continued advancing his career as an aircraft maintenance professional, earning his IA to go with his A&P.  Always willing to lend a hand when needed, Sean was an essential ingredient in the adhesive that binds an aviation community together.  He was a meticulous craftsman whose show-quality restorations, kit and plans-built projects still turn heads, and inspire other homebuilders and mechanics to strive for the attention to detail that came so easily to him.

Sean had a huge thirst for adventure, and made time in his busy career for snow skiing and motorcycle riding with his fiancé Tami, boating and water-skiing with his family and friends, and flying whenever, however, whatever, to wherever.

Sean DeRosier lost his life in October 2004, doing what he knew and loved best - flying.  The Sean DeRosier Memorial Scholarship honors Sean's spirit by assisting other young men and women in their aviation goals.  The Scholarship selection committee consists of Sean's parents, Ben and Doris, and his fiancé Tami. "Sean was our candle that burned twice as bright, and our world is dimmer by his loss."