WHIRLY-GIRLS 2021 SCHOLARSHIPS
THE SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO OCTOBER 12, 2020!
As an alternative, applicants may fill out individual forms and email them to wgscholarships@gmail.com, or mail them to VP of Scholarships, Kim Barwick. See the Instructions for Emailed Scholarship Applications.
You must be a Whirly-Girl or female Associate member (for the Whirly-Girls Add-On Scholarship) to apply.
Women can click on the Join/Renew button to join. The application fee is $55. Scroll down to see eligibility requirements.
Here is the current list of available scholarships for the 2021 season.
James Wisecup Memorial Flight Training Scholarship:
This scholarship is provided by the Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund and generous donations in honor of James Wisecup. These donations have allowed the scholarship value to increase to $10,000 for 2021. This scholarship may be applied towards a Whirly-Girl upgrading or advancing her current helicopter rating.
James, a 16,000-hour helicopter and fixed-wing pilot, started his aviation career in the U.S Army. He was a decorated military veteran with a Purple Heart, a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, and multiple air medals for his combat duty. In his civilian career, he flew offshore transport, search and rescue and air ambulance. He was an advanced flight instructor, Designated Pilot Examiner, and also served as HAI’s Chairman of the Board of Directors. James was an advocate for aviation safety, a teacher, a mentor and avid supporter of the Whirly-Girls. We are proud to rename the scholarship in James’ honor this year.
Requirements: the applicant must be a helicopter pilot with at least a private pilot certificate/license. She must 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 September 23, 2020. Scholarship training must be completed by December 31, 2021.
Whirly-Girls Jean Tinsley Memorial HELI-EXPO Scholarship:
This scholarship is provided by the Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund and the Jean Tinsley estate. Jean Tinsley, WG #118, was a strong advocate of camaraderie and mentorship among female aviators. In commemoration of Jean’s love of meetings, known as “hoverings,” one Whirly-Girl will receive a trip to join the Whirly-Girls for the Annual Awards Banquet and Whirly-Girls events at HAI HELI-EXPO in New Orleans, Louisiana, March 21 – 25, 2021. The scholarship includes an HAI HELI-EXPO show pass with access to the expo floor, training seminars, and associated events; five nights’ shared accommodations; $600 travel and meal stipend, and a Whirly-Girls Awards Banquet ticket. This scholarship is valued up to $2400. Requirements: each applicant must be a helicopter pilot with at least a private pilot certificate/license. She must be a member in good standing at time of application submission, award of scholarship, and during the HAI HELI-EXPO event in 2021, and must have joined the Whirly-Girls no later than September 23, 2020. Preference will be given to a Whirly-Girl who has not previously attended HAI HELI-EXPO.
Whirly-Girls Helicopter Add-On Flight Training Scholarship:
FOR FEMALE PILOTS RATED IN AIRCRAFT OTHER THAN HELICOPTERS. This scholarship, funded by the Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund, is awarded to a certificated female pilot who does not currently have a helicopter rating and provides $8,000 to be applied towards earning her add-on helicopter rating. The applicant will be evaluated for evidence of intent to work in the helicopter industry. Requirements: the applicant must be an associate 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 September 23, 2020. Scholarship training must be completed by December 31, 2021. If you are not currently an Associate member, you can join now.
Advanced Mountain Flight Training Scholarship:
This scholarship is provided in memory of Keiko Minakata, WG #1339. The scholarship gives a deserving Whirly-Girl the skills to cope with turbulence, rugged terrain, and landing zone selection in mountainous and canyon areas, with special emphasis placed on decision making. It also provides the skill needed to fly all sorts of private and commercial helicopter missions that require off-airport landings anywhere in the country, regardless of altitude or terrain. It’s a real confidence-builder, especially if the pilot has very little experience in off-road operations. It includes a ½ day extensive ground school with 5 hours of flight time. The pilot taking this course should have 250 rotorcraft hours and need not be qualified or current in the MD500 series or the Schweizer/Hughes 300 series. Training will be at Western Helicopters Inc. at the Riverside Municipal Airport, California, USA. Value $6,500 plus. Requirements: the applicant must be a helicopter pilot with at least a private certificate/license. She must 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 September 23, 2020. Scholarship training must be completed by December 31, 2021.
Airbus Inadvertent Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IIMC) Training Scholarship:
Sponsored by Airbus, this scholarship will give TWO deserving Whirly-Girls the opportunity to attend the Inadvertent Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IIMC) Course at the Airbus Helicopters North American Regional Training Center in Grand Prairie, Texas, USA. This is a two-day course that provides comprehensive IIMC and Unusual Attitude Recovery ground and flight training using Helisim LLC’s AS350 Full Flight Simulator (FFS). More information about this course is available here: https://www.airbus.com/content/dam/channel-specific/website-/us/training/pilot-courses/as350-h125/AS350-IIMC-course-POI.pdf Course value is approximately $4,900. Requirements: the applicant must be a helicopter pilot with at least a private certificate/license. She must 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 September 23, 2020. Scholarship training must be completed by December 31, 2021.
Edward M. Thurn Memorial Scholarship
The Edward M. Thurn Memorial Scholarship, now in its fifth year, provides $15,000 to any Whirly-Girl to be applied toward upgrading her current helicopter rating. It may be applied toward commercial, instrument, flight instructor, airline transport pilot (ATP), night vision goggle (NVG) or turbine transition training to advance a candidate’s career.
Edward M. Thurn, a strong advocate for advancing women in the aviation industry, joined the US Army in 1966, earning his wings in 1967 at Ft. Wolters, Texas. He held rotorcraft ATP and fixed-wing private pilot ratings with 9600 hours of flight time in 19 different models of aircraft. His aviation experiences were many: serving in Vietnam as a Huey UH-1 pilot, working as an air traffic controller in Indianapolis, flying missions for spraying, moving cargo, acting as a medevac with Evergreen Helicopters, serving as a corporate transport pilot with Paramount Aviation, flying with the National Guard, and serving as a Captain for Colgate-Palmolive Corporation. Requirements: the applicant must be a helicopter pilot with at least a private certificate/license. She must 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 September 23, 2020. Scholarship training must be completed by December 31, 2021. The applicant should clearly indicate in their submission how the training is expected to assist in her helicopter aviation career.
WHIRLY-GIRLS SCHOLARSHIP SELECTION FACTORS, ELIGIBILITY & PROCESS
In evaluating scholarship applications, the judges look for evidence that you have a set goal in mind for the scholarship training, that there is a good probability that you will succeed, that you will go on to reap benefits from your training, and that you are the type of person that will share your talents with others.
Judges look for evidence of the following:
- Goal for the flight training specified.
- Experience, service to others, and what others have to say about you through your letters of recommendation.
- Achievements in life, particularly in aviation and the helicopter industry.
- Attitude toward self and others, as shown through the entire application package.
- Neatness, ability to follow instructions, completeness and accuracy of your application.
- Reliability, motivation, and commitment to success as shown through prior employment, jobs and activities, and service to others.
- Dedication to your career as shown through prior employment, especially in the helicopter industry.
- Ability to accept responsibility and teamwork as shown through prior jobs and activities.
- Financial need.
Be sure to proofread your answers carefully prior to submission to be sure they express your intentions accuracy and are grammatically correct. You may wish to draft the essay questions separately and copy them into the form once you are satisfied.
Erickson & Volo Mission Vertical Reference/External Load Scholarship:
This scholarship is sponsored by Erickson and Volo Mission and will be awarded to a career-minded Whirly-Girl who needs a vertical reference/external load endorsement for a flight position. This course includes 20 hours of flight time in the R44, 10 hours of classroom/ground instruction and 3 hours of field operations instruction. She need not be turbine qualified. Training must be completed at Volo Mission in Campbell, Texas. This course is valued at $18,000. Requirements: Requirements: the applicant must be a helicopter pilot with at least a commercial pilot certificate/license with at least 1000 hours total time. She must 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 September 23, 2020. Scholarship training must be completed by December 31, 2021.
FlightSafety International Bell 206/Bell 407 Scholarship (PENDING):
Sponsored by FlightSafety International, this scholarship is awarded to a Whirly-Girl who possesses at least a private pilot helicopter certificate and has landing currency in helicopters. This training program includes initial type training, recurrent training, and inadvertent IMC training in the Bell 206 or Bell 407 FAA Level 7 qualified Flight Training Device. This five-day course consists of academic training and 6 hours in the FTD. Training will be available at FlightSafety’s Helicopter Learning Center of Excellence in Lafayette, Louisiana, USA. Course value: $10,000. Requirements: the applicant must be a helicopter pilot with at least a private certificate/license. She must 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 September 23, 2020. Scholarship training must be completed by December 31, 2021.
Garmin GTN & G500/600 Course Scholarship:
Garmin Aviation Training is providing TWO scholarships to Whirly-Girls who wish to improve their knowledge in how to maximize the benefits of Garmin equipment capabilities and increase their confidence in the use and integration of Garmin equipment as part of their flight operations. This course is valued at $795. Location of the Garmin course is dependent on the course date attended by each recipient. cRequirements: each applicant must be a helicopter pilot with at least a private pilot certificate/license. 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 September 23, 2020. Scholarship training must be completed by December 31, 2021.
NEW THIS YEAR!! Leading Edge Flight Academy and Central Oregon Community College Helicopter Instrument Rating Scholarship:
Sponsored by Leading Edge Flight Academy & Central Oregon Community College, this scholarship provides the opportunity to receive helicopter instrument rating training. Leading Edge Flight Academy provides 21 hours of flight training in the Robinson R44 and 30 hours of ground instruction. 14 hours of flight training in an Advanced Aviation Training Device (simulator) will be provided by Central Oregon Community College. Training will take place in Bend, Oregon, USA. Course value is approximately $16,725. Requirements: each applicant must be a helicopter pilot with at least a private pilot certificate/license. 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 September 23, 2020. Scholarships training must be completed by December 31, 2021.
Robinson Helicopter R22/R44 Safety Course Scholarship:
Sponsored by Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC), this scholarship provides a Whirly-Girl currently flying Robinsons the opportunity to attend the R22/R44 Safety Course and build either R22 or R44 time. RHC provides this 3.5-day course in Torrance, CA, USA, which includes an hour of flight with a safety instructor and sponsors an additional 4 hours of either R22 or R44 flight time (5 total hours). The course includes 3.5 days of classroom instruction in the following subject areas: accident review, causes of fatal accidents, awareness training, SFAR 73, and Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH) review. One day is devoted to maintenance, pre-flight inspections, and flying with an experienced RHC safety pilot. A tour of the Robinson Factory is also included. The course is open to any rated helicopter pilot who has at least 3 hours in the R22 or R44 helicopter, one hour of which was flown within 30 days prior to attending the course. This course is required by most insurance companies and serves as a CFI refresher. Course valued at $3,000. Requirements: each applicant must be a helicopter pilot with at least a private pilot certificate/license. 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 September 23, 2020. Scholarship training must be completed by December 31, 2021.
Robinson Helicopter R66 Safety Course Scholarship:
Sponsored by Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC), this scholarship provides a Whirly-Girl currently flying Robinsons the opportunity to attend the R66 Safety Course and build R66 time. RHC provides this 3.5-day course in Torrance, CA, USA, which includes an hour of flight with a safety instructor and sponsors an additional 4 hours of R66 flight time (5 hours total R66 flight time). The course includes 3.5 days of classroom instruction in the following subject areas: accident review, causes of fatal accidents, awareness training, SFAR 73, Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH) review, R66 systems, and the Rolls Royce engine. One day is devoted to maintenance, pre-flight inspections, and flying with an experienced RHC safety pilot. A tour of the Robinson Factory is also included. The course is open to any rated helicopter pilot who has at least 3 hours in any type of Robinson helicopter model, one hour of which was flown within 30 days prior to attending the course. A Robinson safety course is required by most insurance companies and serves as a CFI refresher. Course valued at $4,500. Requirements: each applicant must be a helicopter pilot with at least a private pilot certificate/license. 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 September 23, 2020. Scholarship training must be completed by December 31, 2021.
Survival Systems USA Aircraft Ditching Course Scholarship:
Survival Systems USA offers this course to TWO deserving Whirly-Girls to learn the knowledge and skills to react in an aircraft-ditching emergency, care for themselves in a sea survival situation, and to participate to the maximum extent in their rescue. This scholarship, valued at $1,400, is provided by Survival Systems USA. Each pilot taking this course should have at least a private pilot helicopter certificate/license and is required to have no physical limitations that would prevent her from participating in strenuous physical training. Training will take place at Survival Systems USA in Groton, Connecticut, USA. Requirements: the applicant must be a helicopter pilot with at least a private pilot certificate/license. She must 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 September 23, 2020. Scholarship training must be completed by December 31, 2021.
