Scholarship season is here, offering a fantastic opportunity to explore the range of support available to help turn the dream of flying into reality.
This year marked my first time applying for any form of training scholarship. As a slightly older applicant, I only a handful of chances left to secure funded flying opportunities before I exceed the application age limits. The two scholarships I applied for this year were:
The Honourable Company of Air Pilots is a Livery Company of the City of London, dedicated to promoting the highest standards of air safety and airmanship. It works closely with licensing, training, and regulatory authorities across civil, military, private, and professional aviation. The organisation provides expert advice through a network of experienced airmen, encourages the sharing of knowledge within the aviation community, and supports pilots and navigators in need through its Benevolent Fund.
They offer a wide range of scholarships, including:
- Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL) Scholarship, designed to support individuals who might not have the financial means to obtain their licence
- Gliding Scholarships, which are available as either a week-long residential course or a lesson-by-lesson programme at a local gliding club
- Flight Instructor Certificate Scholarship, aimed at those with a clear ambition to become a Flying Instructor
I applied for the PPL scholarship at the beginning of January 2024. The application process required submitting a printed form, which had to be handwritten, scanned, and sent back to their administrative office. The form began with personal information such as contact details, academic qualifications, career history, work experience, and flying experience.
Following this were several questions focusing on my understanding of the PPL, the challenges I might face during training, my career goals, and my proudest achievement. Each response had to stay within a strict word count, which was difficult as I had so much I wanted to include. I focused on including the most important and relevant information.
The next stage was to wait and see if I would be invited to an interview at the Company’s headquarters in London. There was a long wait up until the final possible date for invitations. As the Company does not send out rejection emails, I followed up on the final day to ask whether applications were still under consideration.
Unfortunately, I was not successful on this occasion. However, it felt rewarding to take the time to reflect, articulate my motivations for this career change, and map out how I plan to achieve it.
The Air League, founded in 1909, is the UK’s leading aviation, aerospace, and space charity. Its mission is to break down barriers and open doors to these industries through scholarships, bursaries and outreach programmes, inspiring and enabling people from all backgrounds to pursue careers in aviation and aerospace.
Each year, thousands benefit from the Air League’s support, ranging from disadvantaged young people to wounded and injured servicemen and women. Through its programmes, the charity increases social mobility, bridges the gap between education and industry, and helps nurture the next generation of leaders focused on sustainable technologies. It also supports the wider industry by hosting Parliamentary events, publishing key position papers, and offering unique networking and educational opportunities for its members.
The Air League offer a vast range of scholarships, these range from:
- Flying scholarship
- Gliding scholarship
- Electric flying
- Engineer
- Ground School
- Done flying
I became an Associate member of the Air League and this is my first year (and potentially only year, due to my age and aspirations to complete my PPL by the end of summer) to be able to apply for a PPL scholarship. I’m excited to share that my online application has secured me an interview at the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation in London. It’s a fantastic opportunity to talk about my journey, motivations, and career aspirations so watch this space for updates and keep your fingers crossed for me, as anyone reading this blog will know, training is a massive financial commitment so I’m hoping for someone to put their trust and support in me to make this dream possible.
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Modular Pilot Kiran 