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Sheltair and the EAA have both announced updates to scholarship programs.
Sheltair Aviation has announced the second annual scholarship program which will provide $30,000 in educational funds and present $5,000 in scholarships to aviators in three different categories. Two will be given for learning to fly or advanced pilot ratings, two for aviation technicians and two for continuing education.RELATED STORIES:Sheltair and Avfuel 2022 Scholarship open for applicationsSheltair, Avfuel partner on new scholarship program
Sheltair splits the fund across the different categories to better help the future of business aviation through a broader scope of developmental opportunities. Applications are due on June 1, 2023 and a team of Avfuel and Sheltair executives will evaluate them and select the six winners based on their essay submissions. Applicants with financial hardships will be given special consideration and the recipients will be notified in September and announced at NBAA-BACE.
Another way Sheltair has chosen to give back to the aviation community is through its recent partnership. Sheltair partnered with the charity group Turtles Fly Too, creating a discount program for pilots that fly endangered sea turtles for the program. RELATED STORY:Sheltair Aviation partners with Turtles Fly Too, fuel discount program offered"With the Future Takes Flight Scholarship Program, we're giving back to the industry that has given us everything," Sheltair's president Lisa Holland said. "By providing meaningful financial support to aviators pursuing a greater commitment to business aviation, we're reinvesting in the aviation community we love."
The aviation community has been also been aided by the EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship program. The program has provided youths with up to $11,000 to help cover flight training expenses. The scholarship is funded by the Ray Foundation and managed by the EAA through the EAA Chapter network. The EAA will receive $1.8 million from the Ray Foundation for 2023.RELATED STORIES:'Pilot Your Own Adventure' contest returns with EAA AirVenture camping grand prizeLearn top air show performers committed to 70th EAA AirVenture Oshkosh this year
"The cost of flight training can be a barrier for many aspiring pilots, so EAA working with the Ray Foundation helps break down the barrier and make the goal of becoming a pilot even more attainable for future generations," EAA VP of communities and member programming Rick Larsen said. "We've found that more than 80 percent of Ray Aviation Scholars are completing their pilot training, which is the complete opposite ratio of those who would start flight training on their own, so this program's outcomes are having a direct, significant effect on the pilot population."
Once an EAA chapter has been approved for the program, it can nominate a chosen scholar for the EAA's final review. The Lightspeed Aviation Foundation and EAA award each scholar with a Zulu 3 headset after they complete a solo flight or pass the written exam if they have soloed before receiving the scholarship.
GlobalAir.com also has a scholarship program for future pilots. The Calvin L. Carrithers Aviation Scholarship provides $1,000 annually to four students who are working on training to become professional pilots. The students blog weekly about their journeys in flight, discussing related topics like flight training, school and opinions on the world of aviation from a new pilot perspective.