Dear female reader, Do you know there are female helicopter pilot scholarships for female helicopter pilots? Read through this article to find out more!
Being a helicopter pilot is in recent times not only secluded for males, but also for female folks. As a woman, you can pursue your interest of becoming a female pilot, if you want, and still, be as good as your male counterparts or even better than them. The first female helicopter pilot known as Hanna Reitsch was the first woman in the world to fly a helicopter.
In 1938, she flew the world’s first successful helicopter, an FW-61 Focke-Achegelis, inside the Deutschlandhalle (auditorium) in Berlin, Germany. She took a huge step and beat all odds to learn how to ride a helicopter. Other countries followed in her footsteps as we have in Nigeria, the Flying Officer Tolulope Oluwatoyin Sarah Arotile who was the first-ever female combat helicopter pilot in the Nigerian Air Force.
This is to tell you that women are slowly taking the lead in many professions known to have been dominated by men. Now, there are ways that the upcoming female helicopter pilots can be financially supported and encouraged to pursue this dream of becoming future female helicopter pilots. One of the most effective ways is by providing scholarship opportunities for them. This is the reason this article is coming to light, to let us in on the various scholarship opportunities that are available for female helicopter pilots. There are other scholarships for women that you can apply for as a woman and benefit. There are also pilot scholarships for blacks as well.
Without further ado, let’s delve properly into these female helicopter pilot scholarships.
Female Helicopter Pilot Scholarships
There are quite several female pilots scholarships for interested female pilots. I will be listing them out and as well discussing each one of them. They are as follows;
- AAAE Women in Aviation Scholarship
- Citation-In-Flight Scholarship by F.A.S.T
- Bill Cowden Memorial Aviation Scholarship
- Women in Aviation International Scholarship
- Mommy’s Going Back-In-Flight Scholarship
- The Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarships & Awards
- Air Line Pilots Association Scholarship Program
- Whirly-Girls Krista Holstrom Memorial Flight Training Scholarship
- Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Flight Training Scholarships
- AAERO Aviation Scholarship Program
1. AAAE Women in Aviation Scholarship
This is the first female helicopter pilot scholarship on the list. The Women in Aviation Scholarship was established to support the educational pursuits of outstanding female students enrolled in aviation programs. Since 2015, the AAAE Foundation has raised over $1.2 million and created six Women in Aviation Scholarships, each with an annual $5,000 award.
Recipients must be a full-time student with a junior class standing or above or graduate student, who is enrolled in an aviation program and has a grade point average of 3.5 or higher.
Since 2016, AAAE has awarded 21 Women in Aviation scholarships totaling $105,000 to deserving future aviation leaders. In 2023, we will award six more Women in Aviation scholarships totaling an additional $30,000 in higher education support for women pursuing careers in the aviation field.
Provided by: American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE)
Amount: Up to $5,000
Education Level: Graduate and above
2. Citation-In-Flight Scholarship by F.A.S.T
This is the next female helicopter pilot scholarship on the list. The group fosters mentorship among professional women pilots at all levels. The Citation-In-Flight Scholarship, sponsored by LOFT Advanced Flight Training, in Carlsbad, California, awards six CE500 or CE525 initial or recurrent simulator training courses to assist at a “pivotal point in their flying,” according to the FAST site.
The Back-In-Flight Scholarship, sponsored by an anonymous FAST member, provides $1,000 of assistance to two applicants who are returning to the flight deck after a career detour. The Multi-Engine-Add-On-In-Flight Scholarship allows the winner to enroll in an accelerated commercial multi-engine add-on course in a Piper Twin Comanche, sponsored by Endre Holen and Stephanie Goetz, with an added $2,000 in travel and lodging expenses.
Provided by: Female Aviators Sticking Together (F.A.S.T)
Amount: $12,675 and $6,750
Education Level: Graduate and above
3. Bill Cowden Memorial Aviation Scholarship
This is the next female helicopter pilot scholarship on the list. As a private pilot, North Dakota Air National Guard F-16 pilot, commercial airline pilot, and air show performer, Bill accumulated over 7,500 flight hours in more than 85 different models of aircraft. He held a Level 1 Unrestricted Surface Level Aerobatic waiver. Bill was also an Airframe and Power Plant mechanic and aircraft builder. He loved giving rides to and mentoring aspiring young pilots and served on numerous aviation boards and committees.
Bill passed away at the age of 47 in an air show performance accident in June 2014. Those who knew Bill remember his attention to detail and hunger to attain each subsequent aviation rating. His passion was honing his aviation skills and promoting aviation activities in all their forms.
In this spirit and his loving memory, his wife, Heather Cowden, reached out to the Community Foundation of Dunn County to establish the Bill Cowden Memorial Aviation Scholarship. Heather hopes that aspiring pilots who lack the financial resources to pursue advanced pilot training will be able to fulfill their dreams in Bill’s memory.
Starting in 2015, one scholarship will be available each year to provide financial support to an area pilot working to obtain higher ratings in aviation, $1,500.
Applications are accepted from March 15th through May 15th of each year.
Criteria of Eligibility:
- Available to Private Pilots of all ages.
- This scholarship is specifically to promote advanced aviation training. Applicants must already hold a current Private Pilot Certificate
- The scholarship is to be used toward advanced training in aviation.
- Applicant must provide a professional resume, and include one letter of recommendation related to aviation skills.
- Applicants must submit a one-page, typewritten essay giving their reasons for pursuing advanced training in aviation.
- Available to pilots in the Midwest, limited to: ND, SD, NE, KS, MN, IA, MO, WI, IL, MI, IN, and OH.
Provided by: Community Foundation of Dunn County
Amount: $1,500
Education Level: Undergraduate and Graduate
4. Women in Aviation International Scholarship
This is the next female helicopter pilot scholarship on the list. Scholarship awards are a major benefit of membership in Women in Aviation International and help members reach their goals and advance into the aviation and aerospace careers they have always dreamed about. Ignite your personal learning experience by applying for the annual WAI scholarships.
During WAI2022, 103 scholarships were awarded to WAI members totaling $473,000. During WAI2023 scholarship, recipients will receive a total of $889,140 in awards during the 34th Annual Women in Aviation International Conference in Long Beach, California, February 23-25, 2023. One of their major scholarships is the WAI/Harvard Emerging Leaders professional development course Scholarship
Provided by: Women in Aviation International
Amount: Varies
Education Level: Undergraduate and Graduate
5. Mommy’s Going Back-In-Flight Scholarship
This is the next female helicopter pilot scholarship on the list. The Mommy’s-Going-Back-In-Flight Scholarship grants $1,000 of flight training at an accredited flight school to help her return to flight status after a break from parental responsibilities.
Other scholarships are the Discover-In-Flight Scholarship which provides a discovery flight to a friend or FAST member who would like to explore learning to fly. The Prep-For-Success-In-Flight Scholarship gives four hours of interview preparation time to two fortunate applicants looking to take their careers to the next level. This scholarship is sponsored by Raven Careers and Professional Pilot Career Coach/FAST member Lynsey Howell.
Provided by: Female Aviators Sticking Together (F.A.S.T)
Amount: $1,000
Education Level: Undergraduate and Graduate
6. The Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarships & Awards
This is the next female helicopter pilot scholarship on the list. Each year Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarships are usually awarded to qualified members for five different scholarship types, including two specialized scholarships: an Emergency Maneuver Training Scholarship and an International Scholarship for pilots in developing countries. In addition, the Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship Fund (AEMSF) provides Research Scholarship Grants and, for Student Pilot members, the First Wings Awards. 99s members and other individuals have donated to the Fund through their estate bequests, individual gifts, and the Perpetual Scholarship program.
Since 1941, the AEMSF has awarded over 800 scholarships plus more than 300 awards to student pilots working toward their first certificate. The amount awarded for these scholarships, including Research Scholar Grants and Fly Now/First Wings Awards, exceeds $12 Million. The AEMSF’s investment account is currently valued at over $6 Million.
SCHOLARSHIP DESCRIPTIONS
There are five separate Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship applications in order to accommodate the most common types of requests. The applicant should use the application form most appropriate to her circumstances and goal. The scholarships are as follows;
- Flight Training Scholarship
- Academic Scholarship
- Technical Training Scholarship
- Vicki Cruse Memorial Scholarship for Emergency Maneuver Training
- Kitty Houghton Memorial Scholarship
Provided by: Ninety-Nine
Amount: Up to $20,000
Education Level: Undergraduate and Graduate
7. Air Line Pilots Association Scholarship Program
This is the next female helicopter pilot scholarship on the list. ALPA represents and advocates for more than 67,000 pilots at 39 U.S. and Canadian airlines, making it the world’s largest airline pilot union. ALPA provides three critical services to its members: airline safety, security, and pilot assistance; representation; and advocacy. Through unbiased, fact-based evaluation of airline safety and security issues, ALPA works to ensure that the airline industry remains safe. ALPA represents pilots’ views to decision-makers, including Congress and federal agencies, and ALPA pilot groups have negotiated hundreds of contracts with airlines.
One 4-year undergraduate college scholarship is awarded each year. The total monetary value is $12,000 with $3,000 disbursed annually to the recipient for four consecutive years, provided that adequate academic standing is maintained (3.0 GPA).
Although the program envisions the selection of a student enrolling as a college freshman, eligible individuals who are already enrolled in college may also apply. The student must be enrolled in a program of studies principally creditable toward a baccalaureate degree.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT
The applicant must be a child of a medically retired, long-term disabled, or deceased pilot member of the Air Line Pilots Association.
Provided by: Air Line Pilots Association
Amount: Up to $12,000
Education Level: Undergraduate
8. Whirly-Girls Krista Holstrom Memorial Flight Training Scholarship
This is the subsequent female helicopter pilot scholarship on the list. Jean Ross Howard Phelan founded the Whirly-Girls on April 28, 1955, in hopes of developing an organization where female pilots could share information and camaraderie regardless of country, race, religion, or politics. She was one of 13 charter members representing women helicopter pilots from France, Germany, and the United States. As founder and first president of the organization, Jean encouraged establishing hospital heliports and using helicopters in emergency medical services.
Today, there are more than 1,900 registered members representing 45 countries, two territories, one Crown Dependency, and one Special Administrative Region and we are still growing. Whirly-Girls International is an official affiliate member of the Helicopter Association International.
Initiated in 1968 in memory of Doris Mullen, a dedicated and professional pilot who lost her life in a fixed-wing aircraft accident, the scholarship program has grown from one single $500 scholarship to a range of scholarships valued in excess of $150,000 in recent years. Below are the two scholarships they offer;
Robinson Helicopter R22/R44 Safety Course Scholarship:
Requirements:
- Each applicant must be a helicopter pilot with at least a private pilot certificate/license, preferably with an instrument rating, and is working towards their flight instructor certificate.
- The applicant must have at least 5 hours of model-specific (R22/R44) Robinson Helicopter time.
- She must also be a member in good standing at the time of application submission, award of scholarship, and during scholarship training, and must have joined the Whirly-Girls no later than December 15
- Scholarship training must be completed by December 31,
Robinson Helicopter R66 Safety Course Scholarship:
Requirements:
- Each applicant must be a helicopter pilot with at least a commercial pilot certificate/license, preferably with an instrument rating, and is working towards their flight instructor certificate.
- The applicant must have at least 3 hours of model-specific (R66) Robinson Helicopter time.
- She must also be a member in good standing at the time of application submission, award of scholarship, and during scholarship training, and must have joined the Whirly-Girls no later than December 15
- Scholarship training must be completed by December 31
Scholarships are awarded at the Whirly-Girls annual awards banquet during the HAI HELI-EXPO convention, usually held in the first week of March, and must be used by each scholarship recipient by the end of the calendar year it was awarded. Members may apply for unlimited scholarships, but each applicant will be awarded at most one scholarship per year.
Provided by: Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund
Amount: $8,000
Education Level: Graduate
9. Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Flight Training Scholarships
EAA’s scholarships are supported by dozens of donors, benefactors, and others who “pass it forward” by endowing these programs. In all, EAA awards more than $1 million in aviation scholarship money via various programs each year.
All applications are reviewed against the criteria for the individual scholarships and then awarded to those who show the greatest potential to be actively engaged in aviation.
EAA strives to provide scholarships that have a minimum award of $5,000. Awards are made up of the following funds:
- Adapt to Fly Scholarship
- Air Academy Alumni Scholarship
- Elgin Wells Jr. Starjammer CFI Scholarship
- Florence “Coffy” Gregory Scholarship
- Harrison Ford Scholarship
- Jason Kurt Lohr Aviation Scholarship
- John S. Bradbury Memorial Scholarship
- Noah Favaregh Scholarship
- Richard R. Harper Memorial Scholarship
- Stephen “Ben” Haas Memorial Scholarship
- Tinker Murdock Family Scholarship
- Will Martin Flight Training Scholarship
- Wilson “Tex” Edwards Memorial Scholarship
- Heather McRoberts Memorial Scholarship*
- Matthew Platt Scholarship
Provided by: Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)
Amount: Varies
Education Level: Undergraduate and Graduate
AAERO Aviation Scholarship Program
This scholarship program is the last on our list of scholarships for female pilots. The AAERO Scholarship Program is for aspiring pilots who have not yet received their PPL certificate. The AAERO Aviation Scholarship is awarded to only a handful of select individuals who have demonstrated their passion and ability to complete their PPL certification within 12 months of applying for the program. AAERO Aviation Scholarship Partners are local businesses that invest in our scholarship program to make it available to aspiring pilots around the United States.
Aviation Scholarship Requirements:
- Must be located in the United States
- Must be 18+ years old
- Must have student certificate and CFI / School.
- Scholarships to selected participants will be paid to their flight school program directly
Provided by: AAERO
Amount: $250 – $2,500
Education Level: Undergraduate and Graduate
Conclusion
These Scholarships I have mentioned above are all for female aviators who are interested in taking their career to the next level. They can do that by applying for these scholarships to be among the benefactors.