The Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund is now accepting applications for the 2019 scholarship season.
Female aviators can apply for more than $150,000 in helicopter flight training and educational scholarships. Applications are due Oct. 15.
This year, scholarship sponsors include Airbus, Erickson, FlightSafety International, Garmin, Lightspeed Aviation, Night Flight Concepts, Oregon Aero, Robinson Helicopter Company, Southern Utah University, Survival Systems USA, Western Helicopters, and many private individuals.
Awards are available for both experienced and newly-minted pilots and examples include classes in turbine transition, software use, commercial flight training, and a helicopter add-on rating.
“When the original 13 members of the Whirly-Girls founded this organization, they were the only female helicopter pilots in the world,” noted Whirly Girls Vice President of Scholarships Alison Martin. “They envisioned a place where female pilots could find support and camaraderie and help one another succeed. Today, our group has grown to over 2,000 members but, despite this growth, females still comprise fewer than 6% of pilots. This cripples our industry, and our sponsors provide these career-building scholarships in an effort to advance women and aid the growth of aviation. Every female pilot owes it to herself to apply.”
Scholarship applications are available at WhirlyGirls.org/Scholarships and are due Oct. 15, 2018.
Scholarships will be awarded in March at the Annual Whirly-Girls Awards Banquet at HAI HELI-EXPO in Atlanta, GA. Winners receive a stipend to attend the expo, association officials note.