Rotorcraft Report: Scholarships Open To Female Aviators

TRAINING

The industry group Woman in Aviation International is preparing to give away thousands of dollars in scholarships to deserving applicants, who can start putting in their bids for the funding this month.

The group opened its applications process for the scholarships July 1.

"We wanted to give our members more time in the application process," said WAI President Peggy Chabrian.

Scholarships offered for 2009 cover flight training, academic, career-change endeavors. Earlier this year, the group awarded nearly $700,000 in scholarships to 60 members.

The deadline for all scholarship applications remains Nov. 21, 2008. Winners of these scholarships are to be announced during the 20th anniversary International Women in Aviation Conference. That event is scheduled for Feb. 26-28, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta.

The group is offering several scholarships for the first time.

The Sporty’s Foundation is offering two $5,000 recreational pilot flight training scholarships for group members who are small aircraft maintenance technicians. "Hal Shevers of Sporty’s offered these scholarships as part of his mission to help provide a well-trained workforce to maintain small aircraft," said Chabrian.

A scholarship has been set up in memory of Flo Irwin, who along with her husband founded Aircraft Spruce and Specialty. It offers $1,000 to a junior or senior woman majoring in aviation management with the intent to start her own aviation business.